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EGERTON R. YOUNG. 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TEAIN 



AMONG THE 



CEEE AND SALTEAUX INDIANS. 



BT 



EGEETON EYERSON YOUNG 

1/ 

(missionary). 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 
MARK GUY PEARSE. 



^'Out of the darkness of night 
The world rolls into the light, 
It ia daybreak everywhere." — Longfellow. 



NEW YORK : HUNT &- EATON. 

CINCINNATI : CRANSTON &- STOWE. 

iSgr. 



By Transf ef 

P.O. Dept. 

Mar 23 06 



TO THB 

FAITHFUL AND LOYING WIFE 

WHO SO CHEERFULLY AND UNCOMPLAININGLY FOR YEARS 

SHARED THE HARDSHIPS AND TOILS 

OP SOME OF THE MOST TRYING MISSION FIELDS J 

WHOSE COURAGE NEVER FALTERED, 



AXD 



WHOSE ZEAL ABATED NOT, EVEN WHEN " IN PERILS " OFT, 

FROM HUNGER, BITTER COLD, AND SAVAGE MENj 

THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED, 

BY HER AFFECTIONATE 

HUSBAND. 



f) XWw ^ 



«<Mi4 




CONTENTS. 



lutroduction 



PAGB 

1 



CHAPTER I. 

Indian Evangelisation — New Records of Work done — Heroic Efforts — 
The Puritans — Brainerd — President Grant's Humane Policy 

CHAPTER n. 

"Work in Canada — "William Case — James Evans and his Co-labourers in 
the Great Lone Land, with Sketches of Revs. Peter Jones, John 
Sunday, and Henry Steinheur ........ 9 



CHAPTER in. 

The Summons to the Indian "Work — The Decision — The Valedictory Serv- 
ices — Dr. Punshon — The Departure — Leaving Hamilton — St. Catha- 
rine's — Milwaukee Custom-House Delays — Mississippi — St, Paul's — 
On the Prairies — Frontier Settlers — Narrow Escape from Shooting 
One of our School Teachers — Sioux Indians and their Wars — Saved 
by our Flag — Varied Experiences .....*. 



27 



CHAPTER IV. 

Still on the Route — Fort Garry — Breaking up of our Party of Mission- 
aries — Lower Fort — Hospitable Hudson's Bay Officials — Peculiarities 
— Fourteen Days in a Little Open Boat on Stormy Lake Winnipeg — 
Strange Experiences — Happy Christian Indian Boatmen — " In Perils 
by Waters" 41 



vi CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 

• PAGE 

Arrival at Norway House — Our New Home — Rev. Charles Stringfellow — 
Thunderstorm — Rev. James Evaus — Syllabic Characters Invented — 
DiflBculties Overcome — Help from English "Wesleyan Missionary 
Society — Extensive Use of the Syllabic Characters — Our People, 
Christian and Pagan — Learning Lessons by dear Experience — The 
Hungry Woman — The Man with the Two Ducl^s — Our First Sabbath 
in our New Eield — Sunday Scliool and Sabbath Services — Family 
Altars 54 



CHAPTER VI. 

Constant Progress — "Woman's Sad Condition in Paganism — Illustrations — 
Wondrous Changes Produced by Christianity — Illustrations — New 
Year's Day Christian Festival — The Aged and Feeble Ones First Re- 
membered — Closing Thanksgiving Services . . . . .63 



CHAPTER VII. 

Oxford House Mission — Visited by Canoe — Description of this Useful 
Craft^Indian Skill — Oxford Lake — Dr. Taylor — Edward Papanekis 
— Still on the Trail by Birch Canoe — Narrow Escape from being 
Crushed by the Ice — On Stormy Lake Winnipeg — Pioneering farther 
North — Successes — " Show Us the Father, and it SufQceth Us " — 
Christ accepted in the Place of Idols *71 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Wild North Land — The Two Methods of Travel, by Canoe and Dog- 
Train — The Native Dogs — St. Bernard and Newfoundland Dogs — The 
Dog Sleds — The Guide — The Dog Drivers — The Long Journeys — 
Night Traveling — Wondrous Visions of the Night . . . .89 

CHAPTER IX. 

On the Trail with the Dogs to Fields Ripe for the Reaper — The Place — 
The Trip — The Winter Camp — The Bitter Cold — Enduring Hardness 
— Deatti Shaking Hands with Us — Many Days on the Trail . . . 101 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER X. 

PACK 

Nelson River — A Demonstrative Welcome — First Religious Service — A 
Four Hours' Sermon— The Chiefs Eloquent Reply— The Old Man 
with Grandchildren in his Wigwam — " Our Father" — '' Then we are 
Brothers" — "Yes " — "Then why is the White Brother so long Time 
in coming with the Gospel to his Red Brother ? " — Glorious Suc- 
cesses . . 116 



CHAPTER XI. 

A Welcome Accession — The Rev. John Semmens — A Devoted Young 
Missionary — First to Reside at Nelson River — In Labours and in 
Perils Oft — In Journeyings Oft by Dog-Trains Together — The Cente- 
narian Old Christian — William Papanekis — His Godly Life and Won- 
drous Trnnslation .... 125 



CHAPTER Xn. 

Rev. James Evans, the Peerless Missionary — His Journeys by Canoe and 
Dog- Train — The Cree Syllabic Characters his Invention — Lord Duf- 
ferin's Words concerning him — His Successes — His Trials — Acci- 
dental Shooting of his Interpreter — Surrendering himself to the 
Avengers — Adopted into a Pagan Family — Visit to England — Sudden 
Death 137 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Sowing and Reaping — Beautiful Incident — "Help me to be a Christian! " 
— Thirty Years between the Sowing and the Reaping — Sorrowing, 
yet Stubborn, Indians induced to yield by the Expression, "I 
know where your Children are I " . 151 



CHAPTER XIV. 

On the Trail to Sandy Bar — Sleeping on the Ice — Thievish Esquimaux 
Dogs — Narrow Escape of Jack — Joyous Welcome — Society formed — 
Benjamin Cameron, once a Cannibal, now a Lay Helper — Plum- 
pudding — A striking Instance of Honesty . . . . , IG3 



viii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XY. 

PACK 

An Indian Lovefeast — Many "Witnesses — Sweet Songs of Zion — Tlie Lord's 

Supper — Memoir of William Memotas, the devoted Christian . . 172 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Varied Duties — Christianity must precede Civilisation — Illustrations — Ex- 
perimental Farming — Ploughing with Dogs — Abnndance of Fish — 
Visits from far-oflf Indians — Some come to disturb — Many sincere 
Inquirers after the Truth — "Wiiere is the Missionary?" — Beren's 
Eiver Mission begun — Timothy Bear — Perils on the Ice . . . 184 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Small-pox Pestilence — Heroic Conduct of Christian Indians — "Whites sup- 
plied with Provisions by Red Men — The Guide, Samuel Papanekis — 
His triumphant Death — Xancy, the happy "Widow — In Poverty, yet 
rejoicing ............ 197 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

A Race for Life in a Blizzard Storm — Saved by the marvellous Intelligence 
of Jack — ""V^^here is the old Man, whose Head was like the Snow- 
drift?" 211 

CHAPTER XIX. 

"Work Outside the Pulpit — Polygamy and its Evils — Family Re-arrange- 
ments — Dangerous "Work at Times — Practical Pastoral Duties — A 
Fish Sermon — Five Men won to Christ 223 

CHAPTER XX. 

Exploring New Fields — The Gospel before Treaties — Big Tom's noble 

Spirit of Self-sacrifice 239 

CHAPTER XXI. 

The Mission among the Salteaux Established — Nelly's Death — Missionary 
Anniversaries Attended — Rev. Thomas Crosby — Traveling Advent- 
ures — More "^^orking with Dogs — Our New Home — Visit from a 
Chieftainess — Closing "Words . . . . . . . ,252 









n 


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^^P 


^1 



LIST OF ILLUSTKATIONS. 



PAGE 

PORTRAIT OP THE AUTHOR Frontispiece 

DOG-TRAIN AT FULL SPEED xii 

RET. JOHN SUNDAY , . 18 

REV. HENRY STEINHEUR 22 

JONAS, SAMSON, PAKAN , . 25 

PORTRAIT OF MRS. YOUNG . . 28 

REV. WILLIAM YOUNG 31 

A PRAIRIE SCENE . . 35 

ROVING INDIANS AND HALF-BREEDS . . . . • . . .43 

AN INDIAN CANOE BRIGADE 51 

FAT DUCKS 59 

" MANY A DUCK AVAS SHOT BY THESE YOUNG INDIAN MAIDENS " . .67 

TAKING THE BARK FROM THE TREES FOR CANOE-MAKING . . . .13 

"as THE DOCTOR AVAS AN ENTHUSIASTIC FISHERMAN" . . . . T9 

"with HIS LIGHT CANOE HE CAN GO ALMOST EVERYWHERE" . . .91 

"HERE THE BLACK BEARS ARE VERY NUMEROUS" 113 

"we exchanged our BLACK CLOTHES FOR OUR LEATHER SUITS " . .127 
"WE HAVE LOOKED DEATH IN THE FACE TOGETHER MANY TIMES " . . 133 
" NO RIVER SEEMED TOO RAPID, AND NO LAKE TOO STORMY " . . . 139 
CREE SYLLABIC ALPHABET . - ^'^^ 



X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 
THE lord's prayer 149 

"some came in their small canoes" 137 

i. — nothing but the hind quarter of a wild cat for breakfast. 

off looking for game 192 

ii. — six hundred yards is a long shot, but wild cat is poor food, 

and so we will try for something better 193 

iii. — come, share with me our savoury venison .... 195 

dog-train with mail . .199 

rev. edward papanekis and family 201 

fishing through the ice 207 

christian indian's barn, scugog mission 209 

pagan indian ceremonies at a dog feast 213 

sea river falls, near norway house , 237 

indian council. 241 

a young indian with his canoe at the foot of the rude water 

SLIDE 247 

TOILING ALONG ON SNOW-SHOES THROUGH THE WOODS .... 259 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TKAIN 



AMONG THE 



CREE AND SALTEAUX INDIANS. 




INTKODUCTION. 



"I/TY friend, Mr. Egerton R. Young, lias asked me to 
^-^ write a few words of preface to his Look. Although 
he needs no words of mine to introduce him to the people 
^^ at home," as the Canadians call the Motherland, I very 
gladly comply with his request. 

It was on a sunny day in the early part of May, 1887, 
that I met Mr. Young away at Meaford on the shores 
of Georgian Bay. We passed the river, — crowded with 
boys and men snatching with leaded hooks at the mullet 
that were swarming in shoals from Lake Huron, — along 
by the wharves to the water's edge, and there on the 
pebble ridge we sat and talked. A simple, honest, straight- 
forward Methodist preacher, one felt at home with him 
at once. I found that he had been a Missionary for many 
years amongst the Cree and Salteaux Indians away m 
" the Lone Land." I had but to ask a question here and 
there and sat entranced ; the people, the country, the 



xiv INTRODUCTION. 

cold, the dogs, the bears, the whole surroundings of the 
life began to live before me, and with many a wild scene 
of adventure, and many a wonderful story of conversion, 
that afternoon sped away, — for me, much too quickly, — 
and ever since it has hung up in "the chambers of my 
imagery," amongst its most vivid and most treasured 
pictures. 

I went with him to his house and made the acquaint- 
ance of Mrs. Young, his brave and devoted wife, and the 
children. I stood on a mat of some fur which interested 
me. " What is this ? " I ashed. My host laughed — " A 
silver-grey wolf : a mad fellow that wanted to make a 
meal of my boy Eddie, and but for God's mercy would 
have done." 

And then began another story — how that as with 
elephants and buffaloes and all creatures that are gcegarious 
there is often one that for some reason — or want of it — 
lives alone, and is of all its kind the most mischievous and 
most dangerous — often, perhaps generally, mad ; in this 
case it was a wolf. The Indians were in the forest cutting 
wood for the winter, and the little lad with his train of dogs 
enjoyed the drive in the sledge to and fro, bringing home the 
load of wood, or racing back in the empty sledge. It was as 
the boy was returning that out of the forest rushed the fierce 
beast, and raced beside him, trying to reach him on the 
pile, whilst the frightened dogs galloped furiously onward 
to the Mission House. A moment's delay, an upset, and 



INTR OB UCTION. 



XV 



the wolf must have had the Lad, but in God's providence 
he reached home in safety. A little afterward the wolf 
was killed, and here was its silver fur resting in front of 
the fireplace. Everything suggested some new question, 
and that led to some new story. At last I had to leave 
for my service, and then home by a long row across the 
lake. But before we parted I got a promise that Mr. 
Young would come to England and tell the people " at 
home " the story of his Mission. 

I felt that he could do for us a work that needed to be 
done, and that few could do, in renewing the popular interest 
in foreign missionary enterprise. I had hoped that the 
Missionary Society might have utilised him for deputation 
work, and have sent him through the country on this 
errand. This hope, however, has not been fulfilled. But 
not the less service has been rendered by Mr. and Mrs. 
Young, as they have gone from place to place interesting 
and thrilling tens of thousands by the records of their 
great success and of God's blessing amongst the Indians. 

It is said that " men who make history do not write it." 
Years amongst the dog-trains and birch canoes do not 
afford much room for practising the art of writing, 
especially when six months had to intervene before re- 
ceiving any communication from the " world of letters." 
If Mr. Young's written narrative has not the force and 
charm of his spoken addresses, is it not true of every- 
thing that is worth hearing when it loses the voice of 
2 



XVI INTR OB UCTION. 

the speaker ? But in spite of this we are quite sure that 
thousands will be thankful to have in a permanent form 
that which Mr. Young has given them here ; and that very 
many others will be glad to read what they could not 
hear. My earnest wish is that the book may have the 
circulation it deserves ; my prayer is that it may be made 
the blessing which its author desires. 

MARK GUY PEARSE. 




INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 



THERE is none among the nature-peoples of the world 
that retain quite the same degree of fascination for civ- 
ilized races as do the red Indians of America. 

Their independence and love of liberty preserved this 
continent from slaver}^ until the white man introduced it, 
and have sustained them in resisting the encroachments of 
the Anglo-Saxon in one long war of independence continued 
through centuries. They have seen their natural heritage 
gradually wrested from them, and have laid themselves 
down to die, within an ever-narrowing area ; but they have 
not been conquered. They have perished, they have not 
surrendered. Tliis lofty characteristic has challenged the 
admiration of their enemies, and even of those who would ''civ- 
ilize them off the face of the earth." Added to this manly 
love of liberty is a strong poetic element, which has pre- 
served an interest in them among lettered peoples. There 
is no other uncultured race which could have furnished the 
basal structure of so beautiful a poem as Hiawatha. A con- 
comitant of this poetic cast is simple, artless eloquence, which 



2 INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 

not unfrequently has risen among these races to great height, 
and, though not so long sustained, is otherwise eqnal to the 
loftiest oratory of the best Senates of the world. 

J3ut in dealino^ with these Indian tribes there is always 
present to the conscientious Anglo-Saxon the question of 
the possible elevation of such rude natures as these Cree and 
Saltaux Indians. Our efforts as a nation to solve this j^rob- 
lem are among the parts of our national liistorj which ai'e 
least creditable to us. A\^e have made sad work of what we 
style governing them. Our treatment of them in times of 
peace has been as little complimentary to us as our treatment 
of them in war, and the supreme folly of much of our mil- 
itary conduct in dealing with them is symbolized by the 
summary of General Grant of one of our Indian cam- 
j^aigns, '' We spent six millions of dollars and killed six 
Indians." 

The transformation of these natural hunters into settled 
agriculturists, and the introduction among them of the amen- 
ities of cultured and settled society, is a work which has had 
but very moderate success from the standpoint of civil gov- 
ernment. The missionary has been the only civilizer of these 
races. But the further interest to all truly Christian people 
remains in the inquiry whether these rude and savage ]3eople 
can be brought to any worthy apprehension of the higher 
spiritual phases of our lioly religion. May a soul rise from 
the state of a savage to the experiences of a saint ? Can the 
enlightening influences of the Holy Spirit enable these ruder 
and baser people to come, speedily, to ap^^reciate and to share 
in the most delicate distinctions in the soul-life of those who 
represent centuries of Christian culture ? 



INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 3 

I have referred tliiis to a few topics of the many pertainmg 
to the Xorth American races which are directly or indirectly 
treated in this charming tale of my friend, Rev. Egerton K. 
Young of Toronto, Canada. This book is not an autobiog- 
raphy ; but the above and many other important topics are 
presented from the stand-point of the author's personal ex- 
periences, and, as a consequence, the volume has all the 
freshness of personal adventure, the heroic endurance of 
exile from civilization, including the communication by post 
but twice a year, and the homely diet of fish twenty-one 
times a week for six months together, except as varied at 
uncertain intervals with wild meat. There is also the nov- 
elty of life incident to travel and exposure and various forms 
of danger, all of which give an interest to the subject under 
discussion. 

The author has told the story of his suffering, his toils and 
his triumphs, substantially as they are presented here, to vast 
audiences in the Dominion of Canada, and in the United 
States. Tens of thousands of people have listened, with de- 
light that scarcely knew bounds, to these narratives at the 
great gatherings of the International Missionary Union at 
Thousand Island Park ; and at the Ocean Grove Camp 
Ground, and at the Chautauqua Assembly. These will be 
gratified that Mr. Young has put them in this more enduring 
form. During the past two winters Mr. Young has retold 
these stories in the towns and cities of Great Britain, and 
riveted the attention, and thrilled with enthusiasm, vast audi- 
ences in Exeter Hall. The secret of this surpassing and sus- 
tained interest in this " oft-told tale " is not far to seek. 
The story told over and over retains a freshness like that of 



4 INTRODUCTION TO TUJ^J AMERICAN EDITION. 

the breeze in the tops of the fir-balsams of this far north 
land, not only from facts themselves, but because Mr. 
Young's simple and artless eloquence savors of that of the 
red man himself ; and one listens, as children at heai-th- 
stones listen to folk-lore. 

We caimot, in the nature of the case, add much to our liter- 
ature like this volume, for circumstances have so changed as 
to render it impossible. I do not recall a contribution to 
standard literature of the nature of this book in a score of 
years. I am sure it will be welcomed. It should have a wide 
readino;. 

Kev. Eojerton R. Younoj and his estimable wife are amonoj 
my personal friends ; and 1 greatly admire their lieroic endur- 
ance and suffering for the cause of Christ in the extreme 
north-west part of the American Continent. It affords me 
pleasure to introduce them thus to those of my personal 
friends who have not already made their acquaintance, and 
to ask that they be very '' highly esteemed in love for their 

work's sake." 

J. T. GRACEY. 

BUFFALO; X. Y., March 20, 1890. 




BT OMOE AND DOG-TEAH. 



CHAPTER I. 



INDIAN EVANGELISATION — FEW EECOEDS OF WORK DONE — HEROIC 
EFFORTS — THE PURITANS — BRAIN ERD — PRESIDENT GRANT'S 
HUMANE POLICY. 

" Gather the harvest in : 
The fields are white, and long ago ye heard, 
Kinging across the world, the Master's word . 
* Leave no such fruitage to the lord of sin ; 

Gather the harvest in.' " 

THE question of evangelising the Indian tribes of North 
America is one that has been more or less prominent before 
the Christian Churches for many years. In the prosecution of 
this work some of the noblest of God's heroes have been engaged, 
some of the greatest hardships and suflferings have been endured, 
and some of the grandest trophies have been won. 

It is to be regretted that Indian missionary biography is so 
limited. But few are the "abiding records," in book form, of 
those men of heroic mould, who have devoted themselves to this 
department of missionary toil. 

While we rejoice that we have the biographies of EHot, 
Brainerd, and a few others of the early missionaries, who so 
nobly toiled, and not in vain, among the swarthy red men of the 
forest, we cannot but regret that so little has been pubhshed of 



6 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

such Indian missionaries as Evans, Kundle, McDougall, Steinheur, 
and others, whose daring, patience, endurance, and successful 
toil would make their biographies as thrillingly interesting and 
as valuable to the Church as those of Carey, Judson, Hunt, or 
Morrison. 

These missionaries to the aborigines of the American con- 
tinent deserve all the more credit from the fact that their lives 
and energies were devoted to the benefit of what is generally 
considered a vanishing people, a dying race. For the Indian, 
in too many instances, the gospel of bullets has been preached 
more loudly than the Gospel of love. More laws have been 
enacted to legislate him out of existence, than to lift him up into 
the condition of a loyal citizenship, and the enjoyment of a 
consistent Christianity. Very humiliating is the fact, that there 
are in these so-called Christian lands many who, forgetting the 
doctrine of the universal brotherhood of humanity, and also that 
of the universality of the Atonement, have become so dwarfed 
and prejudiced in their minds concerning the red man as to leave 
him completely outside the pale of humanity, and utterly beyond 
the reach of God's mercy, and, with dogmatic assurance, have 
declared that the only good Indian is the dead Indian ; or, as it 
was once brutally expressed to me by a military officer : " Indians 
are vermin fit only for extermination." 

It is a cause of thankfulness, that while ignorance, or terror, 
or ambition, or greed, has caused too many to have such views, 
many others have differed, and have gone to work to do the 
Indians good ; and their lives have not been complete failures. 
Apart from the efforts made by the priests who accompanied 
Cortez, Pizarro, and other military adventurers, very early in the 
sixteenth century, priests were labouring in Florida, and in the 
Eio Grande country, for the conversion of the natives, and they 
counted their converts by thousands long before any considerable 
settlement of English-speaking people had been formed on the 
Continent. Then, in the following century, the story of the 
labours and hardships of the Jesuits, and other organisations of 
the Church of Home, among the Hurons of Canada, the Iroquois 
of New York, the Abenakis of Maine, and various other tribes, 



RECORDS OF WORK DOJSE. 7 

as narrated in the eloquent pages of Parkman's fascinating 
histories, reads more like a thrilling romance than as the sober 
recital of actual facts. 

In the first settlements in Maryland, the conversion of the 
Indians was a subject that at once attracted attention ; and the 
labourers did not toil in vain. In the Charter given to the band 
of adventurers, who, in the year 1607, fixed upon Virginia as 
their home, these words occur. They were ordered to " use all 
proper means to draw the savage and heathen people to the true 
knowledge and service of God." 

Within a year after the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers at 
Plymouth Pock, one of the elders, a ]Mr. Cushman, in writing 
back to his friends in England, referred to " the tractable dis- 
position of the Indian youths, and the possibility of doing them 
much good." Those grand and sturdy people, who for conscience' 
sake had come out into the wilderness, had themselves declared 
that they had come to America for weighty and solid reasons, 
among which was this — that they might be used for the " propa- 
gation and advancing of the Gospel and kingdom of Christ." In 
their conscientious way they set about the fulfilment of these 
designs. Of the wonderful revivals among the Indians, under 
the labours of the Pevs. David and John Brainerd, a good deal 
has been written. Their consecrated zeal and great successes 
fired anew the hearts of such glorious men as the Wesleys, 
Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards. An eminent writer has 
declared that ''the work of God among the Indians at that period 
was perhaps without parallel in heathen Missions since the days 
of the apostles." David Brainerd, in writing of the wondrous 
work, said : " The power of God seemed to descend upon the 
Indians like mighty rushing wind, and with astonishing energy 
bore down all before it. Marvellous were the results. Old men 
and women were in deep distress for their souls, and the most 
stubborn hearts were compelled to bow, and thousands were 
happily converted to God." 

So deeply impres&ed was John Wesley with Brainerd's work 
among the Indians, that we find in the fifth volume of his Works 
the following question and answer : 



8 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

" Question. — What can be done in order to revive the work 
of God where it is decayed ? " 

" Answer. — Let every preacher read carefully over the * Life 
of David Brainerd/ etc." 

To follow and record, with any degree of completeness, the 
work carried on by the Churches among these " wards of the 
nations," would be interesting and a labour of love, but it would 
occupy volumes. Suffice it to say, ere we begin to make fuller 
mention of the Canada work, of which we have some personal 
knowledge, that the Churches of the United States are carrying 
on a grand enterprise with increasing vigour and encouraging 
success. Excellent schools, like those at Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, 
and Hampton Institute, in Virginia, are developing noble Chris- 
tian men and women, who are giving fresh impetus to the blessed 
work of lifting up these remnants of once mighty tribes to the 
enjoyment of true religion and to a higher plane of civilisation. 
It is also an encouraging sign of the times, that the Government 
of the mightiest republic the world ever saw is waking up to its 
responsibility, and, as if to atone for the misdeeds of its agents 
and the sad blunders of the past, is entering on a new career, 
resolved that justice, although long delayed, sha.ll yet be meted 
out to its Indian subjects. 

The " blood-and-iron " policy was a disgrace to American 
civilisation and to our common Christianity. The effi)rt to make 
the Indian " decent by force " has been a complete failure. The 
force of honest, straightforward example will do vastly more. 
By right-thinking people General Grant deserves ever to be held 
in kindly remembrance for his "peace policy." When so-called 
friends urged him to make a change in it, his reply was charac- 
teristic of the man, and worthy to be remembered : " If the 
present policy towards Indians can be improved in any way, I 
will always be ready to receive suggestions on the subject. I do 
not believe our Creator ever placed different races of men on this 
earth with a view to having the stronger exert all his energies 
in the extermination of the weaker. If any change takes place 
in the Indian policy of the Government while I hold my present 
office, it will be on the humanitarian side of the question." 



[ *#r@:®A© * © '^A#A^^^i5^=?»:\©':(ja*^^ 




CHAPTER II. 



WOEK IN CANADA — WILLIAM CASE — JAMES EVANS AND HIS CO-LABOURERS 
IN THE GREAT LONE LAND, WITH SKETCHES OF REVS. PETER JONES, 
JOHN SUNDAY, AND HENRY STEINHEUE. 

FOR many years the Methodist Church of Canada has taken 
a deep interest in the spiritual welfare of the Indian tribes 
of the Great Dominion. For a long time its efforts were but 
feeble, and the results proportionally small. In the year 1823 
an impetus was given to the work by the conversion of an Indian 
lad, who afterwards became the Rev. Peter Jones, a devoted and 
successful Missionary to his own people. When this Indian lad 
first stood up in a fellowship meeting, and told the simple story 
of his conversion, the presiding elder, the Rev. William Case, 
shouted out, " Glory to God ! Now is the door opened for the 
work of conversion in his nation." 

The report of what was going on in the Old Province of Upper 
Canada fired the hearts of the parent Wesleyan Missionary 
Society in England ; and in the year 1840 they sent out, to what 
was then known as the Hudson's Bay Territories, the Rev. Messrs. 
Barnley, Rundle, and others, to be under the superintendence of 
the Rev. James Evans, who had been labouring in Upper Canada, 
but who left his successful work, and hurried away to assume, as 
desired, the leadership of that heroic band which, with apostolic 
zeal, was about to enter into the very heart of this then unknown 
region. 

Mr. Evans, with his family, travelled all the way from Thunder 
Bay, on Lake Superior, to Korway House in a birch-bark canoe, 
a distance of many hundreds of miles. His library and household 
effects had to be shipped to London, England, and then re-shipped 



10 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

on the Hudson's Bay Company's vessel to York Factory, on the 
western side of Hudson's Bay. From this port they were carried 
in open boats up a dangerous, toilsome route of over five hundred 
miles. Scores of times they had to be unshipped and carried on 
men's shoulders round the falls, or rapids, of treacherous, dangerous 
rivers, until finally they reached their owner, after having crossed 
the Atlantic twice, and travelled altogether a distance of some 
twelve thousand miles; many months having been taken to 
perform a journey which now, by the aid of rail and steamer, 
can be made in five days. 

Grandly and well did Evans and Bundle and Barnley toil. 
Their names, in that great land, are still fragrant as the breath 
of heaven. Their heroic deeds live on, their faithful words are 
not forgotten ; and to this day there still remain many Indians 
who were rescued from paganism by their faithful labours ; and 
the "Church triumphant" holds a goodly company who have 
finished their course with joy. 

In 1854, the Indian Missions in the North- West Territories 
were transferred from the English Wesleyan to the Canadian 
Methodist Church. The appointments for that year were as 
follows : — 

Norway House, Lake Winnipeg, — Thomas Hurlburt. 

Oxford House, — Bobert Brooking. 

Lac La Bluie, — Allen Salt. 

Edmonton and Bocky Mountains, — Henry Steinheur. 

Thomas Hurlburt was of a family that gave five sons to the 
Methodist ministry. He entered the ministry in 1829, and 
devoted the greater part of his long ministerial life to the evan- 
gelisation and civilisation of the Indians — a work in which he 
was very successful. 

Bobert Brooking also deserves honourable mention. Before 
coming to Ameiica, Mr. Brooking was a missionary of the 
English Wesleyan Church. For years he lived and laboured in 
Ashantee, on the West Coast of Africa. His health failing in 
the excessive heat of that field of labour, he returned home, and, 
after his restoration, came to Canada, and devoted himself to the 
Indian work. Strange to say, he was now sent to the coldest 



TOILERS IN THE GREAT LONE LAND. 11 

field in the world. He has given more than thirty years of 
faithful service to the Indian work, and now, after long years 
of self-denying toil, is enjoying a happy and contented old age, 
patiently waiting until the summons shall be heard to " come up 

higher." 

Allen Salt, the third name on the 1854 list of appointments 
for the Great Lone Land, is a pure Indian, one of the first converts 
of missionary toil. He is a man of commanding appearance and 
pleasing address. He has proved himself to he a most trust- 
worthy\nd useful brother, respected by the whites, and a blessing 
to his own people. 

Henry Steinheur, the last of the four, was also a pure-blooded 
Indian. His name has been a household word for many years 
in and beyond Canadian Methodism. 

A poor neglected Indian boy, he was found out by one of the 
missionaries, and induced to attend a mission school. His pro- 
gress in his studies was rapid, and his life became pure and 
consistent. A fuller record of him will be found farther on. 
He now rests from his labours. Two noble sons have taken up 
his mantle, and are giving promise of doing valiant service for 

the Master. 

Time and space would fail us, if we should attempt to enumerate 
the long list of good men and true, who have given their lives to 
this blessed work. 

Dr. Egerton Ryerson stated, when "in age and feebleness 
extreme," at the Brampton Conference, in 1883, that the happiest 
year in his life was that of 1826, when he was stationed at the 
Credit as a missionary, and preached and toiled a good deal 
among the Indians. 

Who, that ever knew, can forget Sha-wun-dais, the Rev. John 
Sunday, the Indian orator and the Christian gentleman ? How 
fresh and spontaneous his wit ! how gentle his spirit ! how over- 
whelming, at times, his appeals for Missions ! Then there was 
Solomon Waldron, who cheerfully gave the best years of his life 
to the Indian work; and scores of others, whose record is on 
high, and whom any Church might feel honoured to claim as her 
sons. 



12 BY CANOE AND BOG-TBAIN. 

*' They climbed the steep ascent of heaven, 
Through peril, toil, and pain. 
O God, to us may grace be given 
To follow in their train 1 " 

Before beginning my own personal narrative, I will here give 
brief sketches of three successful native Indian missionaries — 
Peter Jones, John Sunday, and Henry Steinheur. 

The Rev. Peter Jones. 

Peter Jones was born on the heights of Burlington Bay, Canada 
West, January 1st, 1802. He was brought up by his Indian 
mother in the customs and superstitions of her people. For 
fourteen years he lived and wandered about the woods with the 
wild Indians in Canada and the United States. 

He suffered many hardships incident to wild pagan Indian 
life. His name was Kah-ke-wa-quon-a-by, which means " Sacred 
waving feathers." Like all other Indian lads, he was taught to 
use the bow and arrows, and afterwards became expert with the 
gun, and was a capital canoeman and fisherman. 

In 1816 he had the advantages of an English school, and was 
taught to read and write. After this he settled among the 
Mohawk Indians. In 1820 he began to attend church, and to 
think favourably about the Christian religion. But when he 
saw the whites get drunk, quarrel, fight, cheat the poor Indians, 
he thought the Indian's religion was the best. Though a wild 
Indian youth, he never fell into the vice of drunkenness. In 
1823 he became acquainted with Seth Crawford, an earnest 
Christian worker, and one who had taken a deep interest in the 
spiritual welfare of the Indians. His piety and sympathy for 
them made a deep impression on the mind of Peter Jones. 

Soon after, a camp-meeting was held in the township of 
Ancaster by the early Methodists of those days. Many were 
drawn by curiosity to visit this gathering. Among the rest this 
young Indian and his sister Mary came, to see how the Methodists 
worshipped the Great Spirit in the wilderness. 

William Case, who was afterwards justly called " The Apostle 



REV. PETER JONES. 13 

of the Indian work in Canada," had the general oversight of 
the camp-meeting. With him were associated a number of 
ministers, who alternately delivered pointed and powerful dis- 
courses from the preacher's stand to the large multitudes who 
gathered in from many miles around. Generally three sermons 
were preached each day, after which prayer and inquiry meetings 
were held, at which the unconverted were exhorted to a personal 
acceptance of Christ. Peter Jones's own description of the scene 
is as follows : — 

" On arriving at the encampment I was immediately struck 
with the solemnity of the people, several of whom were engaged 
in singing and prayer. Some strange feeling came over my mind, 
and I was led to believe that the Supreme Being was in the 
midst of His people, who were now engaged in worshipping Him. 

" We pitched our tent upon the ground allotted to us ; it was 
made of coarse linen cloth. The encampment contained about 
two acres, enclosed by a brush fence. The tents were pitched 
within this circle; all the under-brush was taken away, whilst 
the larger trees were left standing, forming a most beautiful 
shade. There were three gates leading into the encampment. 
During each night the whole place was illuminated with fire- 
stands, which had a very imposing appearance among the trees 
and leaves. The people came from difierent parts of the country, 
some ten, some twenty, and some even fifty miles, in their waggons, 
with their sons and daughters, for the purpose of presenting them 
to the Lord for conversion. I should judge there were about a 
thousand persons on the ground. 

"At the sound of the horn we went and took our seats in 
front of the stand, from which a sermon was delivered. After 
this there was a prayer-meeting, in which all who felt disposed 
took part in exhorting and praying for penitents. The next 
day, Saturday, 2nd of June, several sermons were preached, and 
prayer-meetings were held during the intervals. 

" By this time I began to feel very sick in my heart, but did 
not make my feelings known. On Sabbath, there was a great 
concourse of people who came from the adjoining settlements, 
and many discourses were dehvered, some of which deeply im- 



14 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

pressed my mind, as I could understand most of what was said. 
I thought the ' black-coats ' knew all that was in my heart, and 
that I was the person addressed. The burden of my soul began 
still to increase, and my heart said, * What must I do to be 
saved ? ' for I saw myself to be in the gall of bitterness and in 
the bond of iniquity. The more I understood the plan of salva- 
tion by our Lord Jesiis Christ, the more I was convinced of the 
truth of the Christian religion and of my need of salvation. In 
spite of my old Indian heart, tears flowed down my cheeks at the 
remembrance of my sins. I saw many of the white people power- 
fully awakened, and heard them crying aloud for mercy, while 
others stood and gazed, and some even laughed and mocked. 
The meeting continued all Monday, and several discourses were 
delivered from the stand. My convictions at this time were deep 
and powerful. During the preaching I wept much. This, how- 
ever, I endeavoured to conceal by holding down my head behind 
the shoulders of the people. I felt anxious that no one might 
see me weeping like an old woman, as all my countrymen consider 
this beneath the dignity of an Indian brave. In the afternoon 
of this day my sorrow and anguish of soul greatly increased, and 
I felt as if I should sink down to hell for my sins, which I saw 
to be very great, and exceedingly offensive to the Great Spirit. 
I was fully convincec? that if I did not find mercy from the Lord 
Jesus, of Whom I hoard much, I certainly should be lost for ever. 
I thought, if I could only get the good people to pray for me at 
their prayer-meetings, I should soon find relief to my mind, but 
had not sufficient courage to make my desires known. 0, what 
a mercy that Christ did not forsake me when my heart was so 
slow to acknowledge Him as my Lord and Saviour ! Towards 
evening I retired into the solitary wilderness to try to pray to 
the Great Spirit. I knelt down by the side of a fallen tree. 
The rattling of the leaves over my head with the wind made me 
uneasy. I retired further back into the woods, and then wrestled 
with God in prayer, Who helped me to resolve that I would go 
back to the camp and get the people of God to pray for me. I 
went, but when I arrived at the meeting, my fearful heart again 
began to hesitate. I stood by the side of a tree, considering 



REV. PETER JONES. 15 

what I must do, whetlier I should give up seeking the Lord 
filtogether, or not. 

" It was now about dusk. Whilst I was thus hesitating as to 
what to do, a good old man, named Reynolds, came to me and 
said, * Do you wish to obtain religion and serve the Lord ? ' I 
replied, ' Yes.' He then said, ' Do you desire the people of God 
to pray for you ? ' I told him I did, and that was what I had 
desii-ed. He then led me into the prayer-meeting. I fell upon 
my knees, and began as well as I could to call upon the name 
of the Lord. The old man prayed for me, and exhorted me to 
believe on our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, he said, had died for 
Indians as well as for white people. Several of the preachers 
prayed for me. When I first began to pray, my heart was soft 
and tender, and I shed many tears; but, strange to say, some 
time after my heart got as hard as a stone. I tried to look up, 
but the heavens seemed like brass. I then began to say to myself, 
* There is no mercy for poor Indian.' I felt myself an outcast, 
a sinner bound for hell. About midnight I got so fatigued and 
discouraged, that I retired from our prayer-meeting and went 
to orn* tent, where I immediately fell asleep. I know not how 
long I had slept when I was awakened by the Rev. E. Stoney 
and G. Fei'guson, who had missed me at the prayer- meeting, and 
had come with a light to search for me. Mr. Stoney said to me, 
' Arise, Peter, and go with us to the prayer-meeting, and get youi' 
soul converted. Your sister Mary has already obtained the 
Spirit of adoption, and you must also seek the same blessing.' 

" When I heard that my sister was converted and had found 
peace (not knowing before that she was even so much as seeking 
the Lord), I sprang up and went with the two good men, deter- 
mining that if there was still mercy left for me, I would seek 
until I found it. On arriving at the prayer-meeting, I found my 
sister apparently as happy as she could be. She came to me and 
began to weep over me and to exhort me to give my heart to God, 
telling me how she had found the Lord. These words came with 
power to my poor sinking heart, and I fell upon my knees and 
cried to God for mercy. My sister prayed for me, as well as 
other good people, and especially Mr. Stoney, whose zeal for my 
3 



16 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

salvation I shall never forget. At the dawn of day I was 
enabled to cast myself wholly upon the Lord, and to claim the 
atoning blood of Jesus, as my all-sufficient Saviour, Who had 
borne all my sins in His own body on the Cross. That very 
instant my burden was removed, joy unspeakable filled my heart, 
and I could say, ' Abba, Father.* 

" The love of God being now shed abroad in my heart, I loved 
Him intensely, and praised Him in the midst of the people. 
Everything now appeared in a new light, and all the works of 
God seemed to unite with me in uttering the praises of the Lord. 
The people, the trees of the woods, the gentle winds, the warbling 
notes of the birds, and the approaching sun, all declared the 
power and goodness of the Great Spirit. And what was I that 
I should not raise my voice in giving glory to God, Who had done 
such great things for me ! 

" My heart was now drawn out in love and compassion for all 
people, especially for my parents, brothers, sisters, and country- 
men, for whose conversion I prayed, that they might also find 
this great salvation. I now believed with all my heart in God 
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and gladly renounced the 
world, the flesh, and the devil. I cannot describe my feelings 
at this time. I was a wonder to myself. 0, the goodness of 
God in giving His only-begotten Son to die for me, and thus to 
make me His child by the Spirit of adoption ! May I never 
forget the great things He has done for me on the glorious 
morning of the 5th of June, 1823 ! 

" Before the meeting closed on this Tuesday a fellowship- 
meeting was held. The Rev. W. Case requested all those who 
had experienced the blessing of justification to stand up, and a 
goodly number rose, amongst whom were my sister Mary and 
myself. When Elder Case recognised me, he exclaimed, ' Glory to 
God ! there stands a son of Augustus Jones, of the Grand River, 
amongst the converts. Now is the door opened for the work of 
conversion amongst his nation ! ' 

" The meeting being closed, we returned home, and with tears 
told our parents what the Lord had done for us. Our simple 
story afiected them much ; they wept, and said they were glad 



REV, JOHN SUNDAY, 17 

that we had given our hearts to God, and exhorted us to persevere 
in the good way. 

"A few days after this the evil spirit tempted me to doubt the 
reality of the change wrought in my soul by the Holy Spirit, but 
this seemed only to urge me to seek the Lord with greater 
diligence. I searched the Scriptures, prayed much, and waited 
for a clearer manifestation of His work on my heart. One day 
I retired to a grove to pray, and whilst thus engaged, all my 
doubts and fears were dispersed, and I was enabled to receive 
the witness of the Spirit bearing witness with my spirit that I 
was a child of God, that I had passed from death unto life, and 
that of a truth a good work was begun in my heart." 

The Rev. John Sunday. 

One of the most remarkable conversions among the Indians of 
Canada was that of John Sunday, who afterwards was so well 
known and justly beloved in Canada and England. For many 
years after his conversion he was employed as a missionary 
among his own people, and hundreds were converted through 
his instrumentality. He was very much sought after to attend 
Missionary Anniversaries. Immense crowds gathered wherever 
he was announced to speak. There was at times a marvellous 
pathos in his addresses, and his audiences were often moved to 
tears as well as charmed with his quaint humour. He lived, a 
consistent and godly life, and afforded a glorious testimony of 
the Gospel's power to lift up and save a poor ignorant, drunken, 
pagan Indian. 

The account of John Sunday's conversion, which he himself 
wrote after he had gone to school and acquired a partial know- 
ledge of the English tongue, is so intensely interesting that we 
give it here in his own quaint broken English, which will give a 
fair idea of his way of expressing himself in his inimitable 
addresses. 

"Brother Scott want me that I shall write my conviction 
about nine years ago. Fii^st is, we had camped at Mr. James 
Howard's place one morning. I go to Mr. Howard to get some 



18 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 



■whisky ; so I did get it some. After I took it, that fire-water, 
I feel very happy. By-and-bye, James Farmer he says to me, 
* Do you want go see them Indians at Belleville ? They want 




REV. JOHN SUKDAY. 



see all Indians.' I say to him, ' Why they want see Indians for 1 
He says to me, * Them are preachers talk about God.' So I went 
home to my wigwam to tell others: and we took some our 
blankets. We hire with them, Mr. Howard with his team, to 



REV. JOHN SUNDAY, 19 

take us at Belleville. We got there about nine o'clock. We 
have no chance to go in the meeting-house : so we went to the 
wood pile ; so we sit there all day in the wood pile, until about 
five o'clock in the evening. By-and-bye them caijie out from 
meeting-house ; so we went to them, and shake hands with 
them. About seven o'clock in the evening went to meeting ; 1 
want to hear them very much, what they will say to us. By- 
and-bye one of them rose up talk to us ; he begin talk about God, 
and soul, and body ; he says this : ' All mankind is only two 
ways we have got to go when we come to die ; one is broad way, 
and other is narrow way. All the wicked white men, and wicked 
Indians, and drunkards go there ; but the good white people shall 
go in the narrow way ; but if the Indians also become good, and 
serve the Lord, they can go in that narrow way.' Then now I 
begin think myself; I begin feel bad in my heart. This is, I 
think, I am one to go in that broad way, because I had hard 
drink last night. My father and my mother had taught me this 
ever since when I was little boy, ' All the Indians shall go 
where sun set, but the white people go in the Ish-peming.' That 
I had trouble in my heart. Next mjDrning again they had talk 
to us ; so they went off from us. As soon as they went off, some 
them Indian says, ' Let us get some more whisky to drink it. 
What them men say unto us, we shall not do so ; we must do 
our own way.' So they went to get more whisky. So I take 
it httle with them ; and immediately after I had drunk it, I 
went home, me and Moses. Is about seven miles to our house. 
All way along the road I thinking about these two ways. Four 
nights I do not sleep much. On Saturday we all went to Belle- 
ville again. There I saw Brother Case. He says to me, ' How 
you like Peter Jones' talk ? ' I say unto him, ' Four nights I do 
not sleep much.' And he began to talk about religion of Jesus 
Christ. 0, I feel very bad again ; I thought this, ' I am one of 
devil his men, because I so wicked.' 

"On next Monday we al! went home again. That night I 
thought I would try pray : this is first I ever did intend to pray. 
I do not know how to pray — my heart is too hard — I cannot say 
but few words ; I say this : ' O Lord, I am wicked, I am wicked 



20 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

man, take me out from that everlasting fire and dark place.' 
Next morning I went in the woods to pray ; no peace in my 
heart yet. By-and-bye I went to other Indians to tell them 
about what them men had said unto us at Belleville ; so I went 
home again. By-and-bye we went to cross the Bay on Sahgegwin 
Island. So Indians come there on Island. By-and-bye we begin 
have prayer-meeting in the evening, and in the morning. I talk 
with them all time. I had boy about six years old ; by-and-bye 
he got sick, and died. I felt very bad. I thought this, * I better 
not stop to pray to God ; ' I went to Belleville to all them 
Methodist men to come on Sahgegwin Island to pray for us. I 
asked one of them Methodist men for glass of beer to comfort in 
my heart. That man say to me, ' Beer is not good for you ; 
better for you to have Good Spirit in your heart.' None them 
they do not want to come on our wigewaum. So I went home 
without glass of beer. So we have prayer-meeting. None of us 
had religion yet. By-and-bye I went to quarterly meeting at 
Mr. Ketcheson. I saw one man and one woman shouting; I 
thought they were drunk. I thought this, * They cannot be 
drunk, because is them Christian : must be something in them.' 
Brother Belton he preached that day : he says this, ' If any man 
be great sinner, Lord will forgive him, if only believe in Him.' 
I thought this, * If I do well, maybe God will forgive me.' About 
one week after this, another quarterly meeting at Seventown, Mr. 
Dingo's barn. In the morning they had lovefeast; they give 
each other little bread and water ; they give us some too, that 
piece and bread and water. I do not know what they do it for. 
When I took it, the bread had stop in my throat, and choke me. 

how I feel in my heart ! I feel very sick in my heart. I 
think this, ' Surely I belong to devil, because the Lord bread 
choke me : I know how that Great Spirit is angry with me.' I 
think this again, * I do not know what must I do to be save my 
soul from that everlasting fire.' I thought, ' I will try again.' 
Take another piece and bread not that the Lord bread, but some 

1 got at a house. I did swallow it down. I feel worse again, 
because I swallowed down that bread. how I feel in my 
heart ! I feel like this — if I in under the water. 



REV. HENRY STEINHEUR. 21 

" In afternoon we went to prayer-meeting in the Old House, 
about five o'clock, and Peter Jones says to us, * Let us lift up 
oui hearts to God.' I look at him ; I do not understand him. 
I think this, * If I do this — take my hearb out of my body, I 
shall be died.' However, I kneel down to pray to God. I do not 
know what to say to ask for religion ; I only say this : ' 0, 
Keshamunedo, shahnanemeshim ! ' '0 Lord, have mercy on me, 
poor sinner ! ' By-and-bye, the good Lord He pour His Spirit 
upon my poor wretched heart ; then I shout and happy in my 
heart. I feel very light, and after prayer-meeting I went to tell 
Peter Jones how I feel in my heart. I say to him this, ' I feel 
something in my heart.' Peter says to me, ' Lord bless you now.' 
how glad in my heart ! I look around, and look over other 
side a Bay, and look up, and look in the woods; the same is 
everything new to me. I hope I got religion that day. I thank 
the Great Spirit what He done for me. I want to be like the 
man which built his house upon a rock. Amen." 

Mr. Sunday lived for many years a godly, consistent life^ 
beloved by all who knew him, either in England or Canada, and 
then died at a good old age. His end was joyous and triumphant. 
His body rests in the beautiful little cemetery at Alnwick, near 
Rice Lake, close by all that is mortal of the Bev. William Case, 
his beloved spiritual father. 

The Bev. Henry Steinheur. 

One of the most devoted and successful of our native Indian 
missionaries was the Bev. Henry Steinheur. 

When a poor little pagan child, wretched and neglected, he 
was picked up by the Bev. William Case, who patiently cared 
for the lad, and not only taught him the simple truths of Chris- 
tianity, but also laid the foundation of an English education, 
which afterwards became so extensive that many a white man 
might honestly have envied him. 

As the boy was observed to be the possessor of a very musical 
voice, Mr. Case selected him to be one of a little company of 
native children with whom he travelled extensively through 



22 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 



various parts of the Northern States, where, before large audiences, 
they sang their sweet Indian hymns and gave addresses, anvl 
thus showed to the people what could he done by the Indians, 




REV. ue:suy steinheur. 



who, by too many, were only considered as unmitigated evils, as 
quickly as possible to be legislated out of existence. 

In one of the cities visited by Mr. Case and his Indian boys, 
a gentleman named Henry Steinheur became so interested in one 



REV, HENRY STEINHEUR. 23 

of the bright, clever little Indian lads that he made an offer to 
Mr. Case that if the little fellow, who was as yet only known 
by his native name, would take his name, he would pay all the 
expense incurred in his securing a first-class education. Such an 
offer was not to be despised, and so, from that time forward, our 
Indian lad was known as Henry Steinheur. 

When the lecturing tour was ended, after some preparatory 
work in the Mission school, Henry was sent to Victoria College in 
the town of Cobourg, Canada. Here he remained for some years. 
He was not only a first-class student, but also a consistent, devoted 
Christian. Such was his progress in his studies that he showed 
that the Indian mind is as capable as any other to receive and 
retain a first-class education. 

With great pleasure, many years after his college days were 
over, I heard him preach a capital sermon before a large congre- 
gation containing many ministers. Before reading his text in 
English Mr. Steinheur read it in Greek, in a way that pleased 
the most learned Greek scholars present, although even then he 
had just come in from a far-off Indian Mission, where for years 
he had only heard the native dialect spoken. 

After his college life was ended, he devoted himself most 
thoroughly to missionary work among his own people, and for 
over forty years was the same modest, unassuming, useful, godly 
missionary. When I went to Norway House I found that, 
although he had been away for years, his name was "hke 
ointment poured forth." Many were the loving inquiries made 
of me concerning him, and many assured me that he had been 
the instrument in God's hand of leading them out of the dense 
darkness of their old sinful lives into the blessed light of the 
Gospel. 

He spent the last years of his useful life among the Cree and 
Stoney Indians at White Fish Lake and other Missions in the 
great Saskatchewan country of the Canadian North- West. He 
triumphantly passed from labour to reward, realising in his 
closing hours the sustaining power of that Gospel which he had 
faithfully and lovingly preached to others. Two sons hav^ 
followed in his footsteps. 



24 BY CAJSOE AKB DOG-TRAIN. 

The following incident, which I had from the lips of Mr. 
Steinheur, will give some idea of the steadfastness of some of 
the Indian converts. At one of the Missions in the Saskatchewan 
country the Kev. William E-undle was very much owned of God 
in the conversion of a band of Indians. Circumstances made 
it necessary for Mr. Rundle to return to England, where, at 
Wolverhampton, in a happy old age, he, at the time of my 
writing, still lives. For several years the Indians at that place 
were never once visited by a missionary or teacher. After many 
days of weary travelling over the prairies, Mr. Steinheur reached 
that lonely western Indian village. He told me that the hour 
for camping overtook him several miles from the village, but so 
anxious was he to be with the people among whom he had come 
to labour, and to end his journey of ten weeks, that he could not 
bear the idea of camping so near them ; so he pushed on in the 
evening twilight, ahead of his party, to the spot where he saw 
the wigwam village on the prairies. When he drew near to the 
outermost wigwam, which was a large one, he heard singing, and 
great indeed was his surpiise to find that instead of its being the 
monotonous droning of the pagan medicine-man or conjurer, it 
was a good Christian tune, and one with which he was very 
familiar. 

Soon the singing ceased, and then, after a little pause, a clear 
manly voice began to pray. For a time the prayer seemed to be 
all thanksgiving; and then there went up an urgent request 
from the earnest suppliant : " Lord, send us another missionary 
like Rundle. Lord, send us a missionary to teach us out of Thy 
word more about Thyself and Thy Son Jesus." Mr. Steinheur 
said he was thrilled and delighted, and so he lifted up the hang- 
ing tanned leather skin door and quietly entered in and bowed 
down with them in prayer. When they arose he told them who 
he was, and that he had come to dwell among them as their 
missionary. Great indeed was their joy and excitement. They 
crowded around him, and some of tliem kissed him, and all 
welcomed him with shouts, and tears of gladness, as though he 
had just come down from heaven to dwell among them. 

Anxious to know as to the people's steadfastness and integrity 




JONAS. 



SAMSON. 



PAKAN. 



26 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

through all those years of neglect, when the Church had left them 
alone, surrounded by pagan tribes, without a missionary or reli- 
gious teacher, I said to Mr. Steinheur, " Tell me, my brother, in 
what state did you find them as regards their religious life, the 
observance of the Sabbath, and their religious services ? " 

" Brother Young," said he, " it was just like a Conference 
change of ministers. It seemed to me as though my predecessor 
had only been gone two or three weeks. They had remembered 
the Sabbath days and had kept them. They had not neglected 
any of their religious services, and they were living as consistent 
lives as God's dear children anywhere." 

The accompanying portraits (p. 25) are of three of the Christian 
Indians from those Western Missions. Jonas is a Mountain 
Stoney, Samson and Pakan are Crees. Pakan is the chief, a 
worthy successor of Maskepetoon, who was so foully murdered by 
Nah-doos, the Blackfoot chief, and the story of whose marvellous 
conversion has thrilled so many hearts. At a camp fire on the 
western prairies, Maskepetoon heard read the beautiful chapter 
which contains the Saviour's prayer for His murderers : '' Father, 
forgive them ; for they know not what they do." By the faithful 
missionary this was held up as the example which must be 
followed by all those who would be real Christians. The warlike 
chief listened in amazement to these requirements, so opposite to 
the revengeful spirit of the wild Indian. But, after he had 
pondered them over, he decided to accept them, and showed the 
genuineness of his conversion a few days after by forgiving the 
murderer of his only son. 




•-<!^y ~~e^y~ -«£>-^ ""-(as-^ '^'^* ""^^►^ 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE SUMMONS TO THE INDIAN WOEK — THE DECISION — THE VALEDICTOR"? 
SERVICES — DR. PUNSHON— THE DEPARTURE— LEAVING HAMILTON — 
ST. CATHERINE'S — MILWAUKEE CUSTOM-HOUSE DELAYS — MISSISSIPPI 
— ST. PAUL'S — ON THE PRAIRIES — FRONTIER SETTLERS — NARROW 
ESCAPE FROM SHOOTING ONE OF OUR SCHOOL TEACHERS — SIOUX 
INDIANS AND THEIR WARS— SAVED BY OUR FLAG— VARIED 
EXPERIENCES. 

SEYEE-AL letters were handed into my study, where I sat at 
work among my books. 
I was then pastor of a Church in the city of Hamilton. 
Showers of blessing had been descending upon us, and over a 
hundred and forty new members had but recently been received 
into the Church. I had availed myself of the Christmas holidays 
by getting married, and now was back again with my beloved, 
when these letters were handed in. With only one of them 
have we at present anything to do. As near as I can remember, 
it read as follows : — 

♦* Mission Eooms, Toronto, 1868. 
"Eev. Egerton E. Young. 

" Dear Brother, — ^At a large and influential meeting of the 
Missionary Committee, held yesterday, it was unanimously 
decided to ask you to go as a missionary to the Indian tribes at 
Norway House, and in the North-West Territories north of Lake 
Winnipeg. An early answer signifying your acceptance of this 
will much oblige, 

** Yours aficctionately, 

" E. Wood, 
" L. Taylor." 



28 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN 

I read the letter, and then handed it, without comment, across 
the table to Mrs. Young — the bride of but a few days — for her 
perusal. She read it over carefully, and then, after a quiet 
moment, as was quite natural, asked, " What doe's this mean % " 
" I can hardly tell," I replied; " but it is evident that it means 
a good deal." 

" Have you volunteered to go as a missionary to that far-off 
land ? " she asked. 

" Why, no. Much as I love, and deeply interested as I have 
ever been in the missionary work of our Church, I have not 
made the first move in this direction. Years ago I used to think 
I would love to go to a foreign field, but lately, as the Lord has 
been so blessing us here in the home work, and has given us such 
a glorious revival, I should have thought it like running away 
from duty to have volunteered for any other field." 

"Well, here is this letter; what are you going to do about it ? " 

" That is just what I would like to know," was my answer. 

" There is one thing we can do," she said quietly ; and we 
bowed ourselves in prayer, and " spread the letter before the 
Lord," and asked for wisdom to guide us aright in this important 
matter which had so suddenly come upon us, and which, if carried 
out, would completely change all the plans and purposes which 
we, the young married couple, in all the joyousness of our honey- 
moon, had just been marking out. We earnestly prayed for Divine 
light and guidance to be so clearly revealed that we could not 
be mistaken as to our duty. 

As we arose from our knees, I quietly said to Mrs. Young, 
" Have you any impression on your mind as to our duty in this 
matter % " 

Her eyes were sufiused in tears, but the voice, though low, was 
firm, as she replied, " The call has come very unexpectedly, but 
I think it is from God, and we will go." 

My Church and its kind ofiicials strongly opposed my leaving 
them, especially at such a time as this, when, they said, so many 
new converto, through my instrumentality, had been brought into 
*;he Church. 

I consulted my beloved ministerial brethren in the city, and 




MRS. EGERTON R. YOUNG. 



THE SUMMONS TO THE WOBK. 29 

with but one exception the reply was, " Remain at your present 
station, where God has so abundantly blessed your labours." The 
answer of the one brother who did not join in with the others 
has never been forgotten. As it may do good, I will put it on 
record. When I showed him the letter, and asked what I should 
do in reference to it, he, much to my surprise, became deeply 
agitated, and wept like a child. When he could control his 
emotions, he said, "For my answer let me give you a little ot 
my history. 

" Years ago, I was very happily situated in the ministry in the 
Old Land. I loved my work, my home, and my wife passionately. 
I had the confidence and esteem of my people, and thought I 
was as happy as I could be this side heaven. One day there 
came a letter from the, Wesleyan Mission Kooms in London, 
asking if I would go out as a missionary to the West Indies. 
Without consideration, and without making it a matter of prayer, 
I at once sent back a positive refusal. 

" From that day," he continued, " everything went wrong with 
me. Heaven's smile seemed to have left me. I lost my grip 
upon my people. My influence for good over them left me, I 
could not tell how. My once happy home was blasted, and in 
all my trouble I got no sympathy from my Church or in the 
community. I had to resign my position, and leave the place. 
I fell into darkness, and lost my hold upon God. A few year?s 
ago I came out to this country. God has restored me to t\ie 
light of His countenance. The Church has been very sympathetic 
and indulgent. For years I have been permitted to labour in 
her fold, and for this I rejoice. But," he added, with emphasis, 
" I long ago came to the resolve that if ever the Church asked 
me to go to the West Indies, or to any other Mission field, I 
would be careful about sending back an abrupt refusal." 

I pondered over his words and his experience, and talked about 

them with my good wife, and we decided to go. Our loving 

friends were startled at our resolve, but soon gave us their 

benedictions, united to tangible evidences of their regard. A 

blessed peace filled our souls, and we longed to be away and at 

work in the new field which had so suddenly opened before us. 
4 



so BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

*• Yes, we will go. We may no longer doubt 
To give up friends, and home, and every tie, 
That binds our heart to thee, our country. 

Henceforth, then. 
It matters not if storms or sunshine be 
Our earthly lot, bitter or sweet our cup. 
We only pray, God fit us for the work, 
God make us holy, and our spirits nerve 
For the stern hour of strife. Let us but know 
There is an Arm unseen that holds us up, 
An Eye that kindly watches all our path, 
Till we our weary pilgrimage have done. 
Let us but know we have a Friend that waits 
To welcome us to glory, and we joy 
To tread that drear and northern wilderness." 

The grand valedictory services were held in the old Kichmond 
Street Chnrch, Toronto, Thursday, May 7th, 1868. The church 
was crowded, and the enthusiasm was very great. The honoured 
President of the Conference for that year, the Rev. James Elliott, 
who presided, was the one who had ordained me a few months 
before. Many were the speakers. Among them was the E-ev. 
George McDougall, who already had had a varied experience of 
missionary life. He had something to talk about, to which it 
was worth listening. The Eev. George Young, also, had much 
that was interesting to say, as he was there bidding farewell ta 
his own Church and to the people, of whom he had long been, 
the beloved pastor. Dr. Punshon, who had just arrived from 
England, was present, and gave one of his inimitable magnetic 
addresses. The memory of his loving, cheering words abode with 
us for many a day. 

It was also a great joy to us that my honoured father, the 
Pev. William Young, was with us on the platform at this 
impressive farewell service. For many years he had been one 
of that heroic band of pioneer ministers in Canada who had laid 
so grandly and well the foundations of the Church which, witk 
others, had contributed so much to the spiritual development of 
the country. His benedictions and blessings were among the- 
prized favours in these eventful hours in our new career. 

My father had been intimately acquainted with William Case- 



UEV, WILLIAM YOUNG. 31 

and James Evans, and at times had been partially associated 

with them in Indian evangelisation. He had faith in the power 

of the Gospel to save even Indians, and now rejoiced that he had 

.a son and daughter who had consecrated themselves to this work. 



BKV. WILLIAM YOUNG. 



As a long journey of many hundreds of miles would have to 
be made by us after getting beyond cars or steamboats in the 
Western States, it was decided that we should take our own 
horses and canvas-covered waggons from Ontario with us. We 



32 J^r CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

arranged to make Hamilton our starting-point ; and on Monday, 
the 11th of May, 1868, our little company filed out of that city 
towards St. Catherine's, where we were to take passage in a 
■** propeller " for Milwaukee. Thus our adventurous journey was 
^Degun. 

The following was our party. First, the Kev. George McDougall, 
"who for years had been successfully doing the work of a faithful 
missionary among the Indians in the distant Saskatchewan 
country, a thousand miles north-west of the Ked River country. 
He had come down to Canada for reinforcements for the work, 
and had not failed in his efforts to secure them. As he was an 
old, experienced Western traveller, he was the guide of the party. 

Next was the Rev. George Young, with his wife and son. Dr. 
Young had consented to go and begin the work in the Red River 
Settlement, a place where Methodism had never before had a 
footing. Grandly and well did he succeed in his efforts. 

Next came the genial Rev. Peter Campbell, who, with his 
brave wife and two little girls, relinquished a pleasant Circuit 
to go to the distant Mission field among the Indians of the North- 
West prairies. We had also with us two Messrs. Snyders, brothers 
of Mrs. Campbell, who had consecrated themselves to the work 
as teachers among the distant Indian tribes. Several other 
young men were in our party, and in Dacota we were joined by 
" Joe " and " Job," a couple of young Indians. 

These, with the writer and his wife, constituted our party of 
fifteen or twenty. At St. Catherine's on the Welland Canal we 
shipped our outfit, and took passage on board the steamer Empire 
for Milwaukee. 

The vessel was very much crowded, and there was a good deal 
of discomfort. In passing through Lake Michigan we encountered 
rough weather, and, as a natural result, sea-sickness assailed the 
great majority of our party. 

We reached Milwaukee on Sabbath, the 17th of May. We 
found it then a lively, wide-awake Americo-German city. There 
did not seem to be, on the part of the multitudes whom we met, 
much respect for the Sabbath. Business was in full blast in 
many of the streets, and there were but few evidences that it was 



ON THE WAY TO OUR FIELD. 33 

the day of rest. Doubtless there were many who had not defiled 
then? garments and had not profaned the day, but we weary 
travellers had not then time to find them out. 

Although we had taken the precaution to bond everything 
through to the North-West, and had the American Consular 
certificate to the efiect that every regulation had been complied 
with, we were subjected to many vexatious delays and expenses 
by the Custom House officials. So delayed were we that we had 
to telegraph to head-quarters at Washington about the matter ; 
and soon there came the orders to the over-officious officials to at 
once allow us to proceed. Two valuable days, however, had been 
lost by their obstructiveness. Why cannot Canada and the 
United States, lying side by side, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 
devise some mutually advantageous scheme of reciprocity, by 
which the vexatious delays and annoyances and expense of these 
Custom Houses can be done away with ? 

We left Milwaukee for La Crosse on the Mississippi on Tuesday 
evening at eight o'clock. At La Crosse we embarked on the 
steamer Milwaukee for St. Paul's. These large fiat-bottomed 
steamers are quite an institution on these western rivers. Draw- 
ing but a few inches of water, they ghde over sandbars where 
the water is very shallow, and, swinging in against the shore, 
land and receive passengers and freight where wharves are 
unknown, or where, if they existed, they would be liable to be 
swept away in the great spring freshets. 

The scenery in many places along the upper Mississippi is very 
fine. High bold bluffs rise up in wondrous variety and picturesque 
beauty. In some places they are composed of naked rock. Others 
are covered to their very summit with the richest green. Here, 
a few years ago, the war-whoop of the Indians sounded, and the 
buffalo swarmed around these Buttes, and quenched their thirst 
in these waters. Now the shrill whistle of the steamer disturbs 
the solitudes, and echoes and re-echoes with wondrous distinctness 
among the high bluffs and fertile vales. 

** Westward the Star of Empire takes its way." 

We arrived at St. Paul's on Thursday forenoon, and found it 



34 BY CAIVOB AND DOG-TRAIN. 

to be a stirring city, beautifully situated on the eastern side of 
the Mississippi. We had several hours of good hard work in 
getting our caravan in order, purchasing supplies, and making all 
final arrangements for the long journey that was before us. For 
beyond this the iron horse had not yet penetrated, and the great 
surging waves of immigration, which soon after rolled over into 
those fertile territories, had as yet been only little ripples. 

Our splendid horses, which had been cooped up in the holds of 
vessels, or cramped up in uncomfortable freight cars, were now 
to have an opportunity for exercising their limbs, and showing of 
what mettle they were made. At 4 p.m. we filed out of the city. 
The recollection of that first ride on the prairie will live on as 
long as memory holds her throne. The day was one of those 
gloriously perfect ones that are but rarely given us, as if to show 
what earth must have been before the Fall. The sky, the au', the 
landscape — everything seemed in such harmony and so perfect, 
that involuntarily I exclaimed, " If God's footstool is so glorious, 
what will the throne be ? " 

We journeyed a few miles, then encamped for the night. We 
were all in the best of spirits, and seemed to rejoice that we were 
getting away from civilisation, and more and more out into the 
wilderness, although for days we were in the vicinity of frontier 
villages and settlements, which, however, as wo journeyed on, 
were rapidly diminishing in number. 

After several days' travelling we encamped on the western 
side of the Mississippi, near where the thriving town of Clear 
Water now stands. As some of our carts and travelling equipage 
had begun to show signs of weakness, it was thought prudent to 
give everything a thorough overhauling ere we pushed out from 
this point, as beyond this there was no place where assistance 
could be obtained. We had in our encampment eight tents, 
fourteen horses, and from fifteen to twenty persons, counting big 
and little, whites and Indians. Whenever we camped our horses 
were turned loose in the luxuriant prairie grass, the only pre- 
caution taken being to " hobble " them, as the work of tying their 
forefeet together is called. It seemed a little cruel at first, and 
some of our spirited horses resented it, and struggled a good deal 



INCIDENTS BY THE WAY. 



36 



against it as an infringement on their liberties. But they soon 
became used to it, and it served the good purpose we had in view- 
namely, that of keeping them from straying far away from thd 
camp during the night. 

At one place, where we were obliged to stop for a few days to 

repair broken axle-trees, I passed through an adventure that will 

not soon be forgotten. Some friendly settlers came to our camp, 




A PRAIRIE SCENE. 

and gave us the unpleasant information, that a number of notori- 
ous horse-thieves were prowling around, and it would be advisable 
for us to keep a sharp look-out on our splendid Canadian horses. 
As there was an isolated barn about half a mile or so from the 
camp, that had been put up by a settler who would not require 
it until harvest, we obtained permission to use it as a place in 
which to keep our horses during the nights while we were 



36 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

detained in the settlement. Two of our party were detailed each 
night to act as a guard. One evening, as Dr. Young's son George 
and I, who had been selected for this duty, were about start- 
ing from the camp for our post, I overheard our old veteran 
guide, the Kev. George McDougall, say, in a bantering sort of 
way, "Pretty guards they are! Why, some of my Indian boys 
could go and steal every horse from them without the slightest 
trouble." 

Stung to the quick by the remark, I replied, " Mr. McDougall, 
I think I have the best horse in the company ; but if you or any 
of your Indians can steal him out of that barn between sundown 
and sunrise, you may keep him ! " 

We tethered the horses in a line, and fastened securely all the 
doors but the large front one. We arranged our seats where we 
were partially concealed, but where we could see our horses, and 
could command every door with our rifles. In quiet tones we 
chatted about various things, until about one o'clock, when all 
became hushed and still. The novelty of the situation impressed 
me, and, sitting there in the darkness, I could not help contrast- 
ing my present position with the one I had occupied a few weeks 
before. Then the pastor of a city Church, in the midst of a 
blessed revival, surrounded by all the comforts of civilisation; 
now out here in Minnesota, in this barn, sitting on a bundle of 
prairie grass through the long hours of night with a breech- 
loading rifle in hand, guarding a number of horses from a band 
of horse-thieves. 

" Hush ! what is that ? " 

A hand is surely on the door feeling for the wooden latch. 
We mentally say, " You have made too much noise, Mr. Thief, 
for your purpose, and you are discovered." Soon the door opened 
a little. As it was a beautiful starlight night, the form of a tall 
man was plainly visible in the opening. Covering him with my 
rifle, and about to fire, quick as a flash came the thought, " Better 
be sure that that man is a horse-thief, or one intent on evil, ere 
you fire ; for it is at any time a serious thing to send a soul so 
suddenly into eternity." So keeping my rifle to my shoulder, I 
shouted out, " Who's there ? " 



CAUSES OF INDIAN WARS. 37 

" Why, it's only your friend Matthew," said our tall friend, as 
he came stumbling along in the darkness ; " queer if you don't 
know me by this time." 

^ As the thought came to me of how near I had been to sending 
him into the other world, a strange feeling of faintness came over 
me, and, flinging my rifle from me, I sank back trembling like 
a leaf. 

Meanwhile the good-natured fellow, little knowing the risk he 
had run, and not seeing the effect his thoughtless action had 
produced on me, talked on, saying that as it was so hot and close 
over at the tents that he could not sleep there, he thought he 
would come over and stop with us in the barn. 

There was considerable excitement, and some stron<y words 
were uttered at the camp next morning at his breach of orders 
and narrow escape, since instructions had been given to all that 
none should, under any consideration, go near the barn while it 
was being guarded. 

At another place in Minnesota we came across a party who 
were restoring their homes, and " building up their waste places " 
desolated by the terrible Sioux wars of but a short time before. 
As they had nearly all of them suffered by that fearful struggle, 
they were very bitter in their feelings towards the Indians, com- 
pletely ignoring the fact that the whites were to blame for that 
last sanguinary outbreak, in which nine hundred lives were lost, 
and a section of country larger than some of the New England 
States was laid desolate. It is now an undisputed fact that the 
greed and dishonesty of the Indian agents of the United States 
caused that terrible war of 1863. The principal agent received 
$600,000 in gold from the Government, which belonged to the 
Indians, and was to be paid to Little Crow and the other chiefs 
and members of the tribe. The agent took advantage of the 
premium on gold, which in those days was very high, and 
exchanged the gold for greenbacks, and with these paid the 
Indians, putting the enormous difference in his own pocket. 
When the payments began. Little Crow, who knew what he had 
a right to according to the Treaty, said, "Gold dollars worth 
more than paper dollars. You pay us gold." The agent refused, 



38 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

and the war followed. This is only one instance out of scores, in 
which the greed and selfishness of a few have plunged the country 
into war, causing the loss of hundreds of lives and millions of 
treasure. 

In addition to this, these same unprincipled agents, with their 
hired accomplices and subsidised press, in order to hide the 
enormity of their crimes, and to divert attention from themselves 
and their crookedness, systematically and incessantly misrepresent 
and vilify the Indian character. 

" Stay and he our minister," said some of these settlers to me 
in one place. " We'll secure for you a good location, and will 
help you get in some crops, and will do the best we can to make 
you comfortable." 

When they saw we were all proof against their appeals, they 
changed their tactics, and one exclaimed, " You'll never get 
through the Indian country north with those fine horses and all 
that fine truck you have." 

" yes, we will," said Mr. McDougall ; " we have a little flag 
that will carry us in safety through any Indian tribe in 
America." 

They doubted the assertion very much, but we found it to be 
literally true, at all events as regarded the Sioux ; for when, a 
few days later, we met them, our Union Jack fluttering from the 
whip- stalk caused them to fling their guns in the grass, and 
come crowding round us with extended hands, saying, through 
those who understood their language, that they were glad to see 
and shake hands with the subjects of the " Great Mother " across 
the waters. 

When we, in our journey north, reached their country, and 
saw them coming down upon us, at Mr. McDougall's orders 
we stowed away our rifles and revolvers inside of our waggons, 
and met them as friends, unarmed and fearless. They smoked 
the pipe of peace with those of our party who could use the 
weed, and others drank tea with the rest of us. As we were 
in profound ignorance of their language, and they of ours, 
some of us had not much conversation with them beyond 
what could be carried on by a few signs. But, through Mr. 



SAVED BY OUR FLAG. 39 

McDougall and our own Indians, they assured us of their 
friendship. 

We pitched our tents, hobbled our horses and turned them 
loose, as usual. We cooked our evening meals, said our prayers, 
unrolled our camp-beds, and lay down to rest without earthly 
sentinels or guards around us, although the camp-lires of these 
so-called "treacherous and bloodthirsty" Sioux could be seen in 
the distance, and we knew their sharp eyes were upon us. Yet 
we lay down and slept in peace, and arose in safety. Nothing 
was disturbed or stolen. 

So much for a clean record of honourable dealing with a people 
who, while quick to resent when provoked, are mindful of kind- 
nesses received, and are as faithful to their promises and treaty 
obligations, as are any other of the races of the world. 

We were thirty days in making the trip from St. Paul's to the 
Red River settlement. We had to ford a large number of 
bridgeless streams. Some of them took us three or four days 
to get our whole party across. We not unfrequently had some 
of our waggons stuck in the quicksands, or so sunk in the 
quagmires that the combined strength of all the men of our 
party was required to get them out. Often the ladies of our 
company, with shoes and stockings off, would be seen bravely 
wading across wide streams, where now in luxurious comfort, in 
parlour cars, travellers are whirled along at the rate of forty 
miles an hour. They were a cheerful, brave band of pioneers. 

The weather, on the whole, was pleasant, but we had some 
drenching rain-storms ; and then the spirits of some of the party 
went down, and they wondered whatever possessed them to leave 
their happy homes for such exile and wretchedness as this. There 
was one fearful, tornado-like storm that assailed us when we were 
encamped for the night on the western bank of Red River. 
Tents were instantly blown down. Heavy waggons were driven 
before it, and for a time confusion reigned supreme. Fortunately 
nobody was hurt, and most of the things blown away were 
lecovered the next day. 

Our Sabbaths were days of quiet rest and delightful communion 
with God. Together we worshipped Him Who dwelleth not in 



40 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 



temples made with hands. Many were the precious communions 
we had with Him "Who had been our Comforter and our Refuge 
under other circumstances, and Who, having now called us to 
this new work and novel life, was sweetly fulfilling in us the 
hlessed promise : " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world," 





CHAPTER lY. 

STILL ON THE EOUTE — FORT GAEEY — BREAKING- UP OF OUR PARTY OF 
MISSIONARIES — LOWER FORT — HOSPITABLE HUDSON'S BAY OFFICIALS 
— PECULIARITIES — FOURTEEN DAYS IN A LITTLE OPEN BOAT ON 
STORMY LAKE WINNIPEG- — STRANGE EXPERIENCES— HAPPY CHRISTIAN 
INDIAN BOATMEN — ''IN PERILS BY WATERS." 

AT Fort Garry in the Red River settlement, now the flourishing 
city of Winnipeg, our party, which had so long travelled 
together, broke up with mutual regrets. The Rev. George 
Young and his family remained to commence the first Methodist 
Mission in that place. Many were his discouragements and 
difficulties, but glorious have been his successes. More to him 
than to any other man is due the prominent position which the 
Methodist Church now occupies in the North-West. His station 
was one calling for rare tact and ability. The Riel Rebellion, 
and the disaffection of the Half-breed population, made his 
position at times one of danger and insecurity ; but he proved 
himself to be equal to every emergency. In addition to the 
many duties devolving upon him in the establishment of the 
Church amidst so many discordant elements, a great many extra 
cares were imposed upon him by the isolated missionaries in 
the interior, who looked to him for the purchasing and sending 
out to them, as best he could, of their much-needed supplies. 
His kindly laborious efforts for their comfort can never be 
forgotten. 

The Revs. George McDougall and Peter Campbell, with the 
teachers and other members of the party, pushed on, with their 
horses, waggons, and carts, for the still farther North- West, the 



42 £Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

great North Saskatchewan Kiver, twelve hundred miles farther 
into the interior. 

During the first part of their journey over the fertile but then 
unbroken prairies, the only inhabitants they met were the 
roving Indians and Half-breeds, whose rude wigwams and un- 
couth noisy carts have long since disappeared, and have been 
replaced by the comfortable habitations of energetic settlers, and 
the swiftly moving trains of the railroads. 

From Fort Garry Mrs. Young and myself performed the rest 
of our journey by water, going down the Red River to its mouth, 
and then along the whole length of the stormy Lake Winnipeg, 
and beyond, to our own far-off northern home. The trip was 
made in what is called " the Hudson's Bay inland boat." These 
boats are constructed like large skiffs, only each end is sharp. 
They have neither deck nor cabin. They are furnished with a 
mast and a large square sail, both of which are stowed away 
when the wind is not favourable for sailing. They are manned 
by six or eight oarsmen, and are supposed to carry about four 
tons of merchandise. They can stand a rough sea, and weather 
very severe gales, as we found out during our years of adven- 
turous trips in them. When there is no favourable wind for 
sailing, the stalwart boatmen push out their heavy oars, and, 
bending their sturdy backs to the work, and keeping the most 
perfect time, are often able to make their sixty miles a day. But 
this toiling at the oar is slavish work, and the favouring gale, 
even if it develops into a fierce storm, is always preferable to a 
dead calm. These northern Indians make capital sailors, and in 
the sudden squalls and fierce gales to which these great lakes 
are subject, they display much courage and judgment. 

Our place in the boat was in the hinder part near the steers- 
man, a pure Indian, whose name was Thomas Mamanowatum, 
familiarly known as " Big Tom," on account of his almost 
gigantic size. He was one of Nature's noblemen, a grand, true 
man, and of him we shall have more to say hereafter. Honoured 
indeed was the missionary who led such a man from Paganism 
to Christianity. 

We journeyed on pleasantly for twenty miles down the Red 



44 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

River to Lower Fort Garry, where we found that we should have 
to wait for several days ere the outfit for the boats would be 
ready. We were, however, very courteously entertained by the 
Hudson's Bay officials, who showed us no little kindness. 

This Lower Fort Garry, or " the Stone Fort," as it is called in 
the country, is an extensive afiair, having a massive stone wall 
all around it, with the Company's buildings in the centre. It 
was built in stormy times, when rival trading parties existed, 
and hostile bands were ever on the war path. It is capable of 
resisting almost any force that could be brought against it, 
unaided by artillery. We were a little amused and very much 
pleased with the old-time and almost courtly etiquette which 
abounded at this and the other establishments of this flourishing 
Company. In those days the law of precedents was in full force. 
When the bell rang, no clerk of fourteen years' standing would 
think of entering before one who had been fifteen years in the 
service, or of sitting above him at the table. Such a thing would 
have brought down upon him the severe reproof of the senior 
officer in charge. Irksome and even frivolous as some of these 
laws seemed, doubtless they served a good purpose, and prevented 
many misunderstandings which might have occurred. 

Another singular custom, which we did not like, was the fact 
that there were two dining-rooms in these establishments, one 
for the ladies, and the other for the gentlemen of the service. 
It appeared to us very odd to see the gentlemen with the greatest 
politeness escort the ladies into the hall which ran between the 
two dining-rooms, and then gravely turn to the left, while the 
ladies all filed off into the room on the right. As the arrange- 
ment was so contrary to all our ideas and education on the 
subject, we presumed to question it ; but the only satisfaction we 
could get in reference to it was, that it was one of their old 
customs, and had worked well. One old crusty bachelor official 
said, " We do not want the women around us when we are dis- 
cussing our business matters, which we wish to keep to ourselves. 
If they were present, all our schemes and plans would soon be 
known to aU, and our trade might be much injured." 

Throughout this vast country, until very lately, the adventurous 



LOWER FORT GARRY MISSION. 45 

traveller, whose courage or curiosity was sufficient to enable him 
to brave the hardships or run the risks of exploring these enor- 
mous territories, was entirely dependent upon the goodwill and 
hospitality of the officials of the Hudson's Bay Company. They 
were uniformly treated with courtesy and hospitably entertained. 

Very isolated are some of these inland posts, and quite expa- 
triated are the inmates for years at a time. These lonely esta- 
blishments are to be found scattered all over the upper half of 
this great American Continent. They have each a population of 
from five to sixty human beings. These are, if possible, placed 
in favourable localities for fish or game, but often from one to 
five hundred miles apart. The only object of their erection and 
occupancy is to exchange the products of civilisation for the rich 
and valuable furs which are to be obtained here as nowhere else 
in the world. In many instances the inmates hear from the 
outside world but twice, and at times but once, in twelve months. 
Then the arrival of the packet is the great event of the year. 

We spent a very pleasant Sabbath at Lower Fort Garry, and 
I preached in the largest dining-room to a very attentive con- 
gregation, composed of the officials and servants of the Company, 
with several visitors, and also some Half-breeds and Indians who 
happened to be at the fort at that time. 

The next day two boats were ready, and we embarked on our 
adventurous journey for our far-off, isolated home beyond the 
northern end of Lake Winnipeg. The trip down Red River was 
very pleasant. We passed through the flourishing Indian Settle- 
ment, where the Church of England has a successful Mission 
among the Indians. We admired their substantial church and 
comfortable homes, and saw in them, and in the farms, tangible 
evidence of the power of Christian Missions to elevate and bless 
those who come under their ennobling influences. The cosy 
residence of the Venerable Archdeacon Cowley was pointed out 
to us, beautifully embowered among the trees. He was a man 
beloved of all; a life-long friend of the Indians, and one who 
was as an angel of mercy to us in after years, when our Nelhe 
died, while Mrs. Young was making an adventurous journey in 

an open boat on the stormy, treacherous Lake Winnipeg. 
5 



46 JBY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIK 

This sad event occurred -when, after five years' residence among 
the Crees at Norway House, we had instructions from our mis- 
sionary authorities to go and open up a new Indian Mission among 
the then pagan Salteaux. I had orders to remain at Norway 
House until my successor arrived ; and as but one opportunity 
was ofiered for Mrs. Young and the children to travel in those 
f^ays of limited opportunities, they started on several weeks ahead 
oi an open skiff manned by a few Indians, leaving me to follow 
in a birch canoe. So terrible was the heat that hot July, in 
that open boat with no deck or awning, that the beautiful child 
sickened and died of brain-fever. Mrs. Young found herself with 
her dying child on the banks of Eed Kiver, all alone among her 
sorrowing Indian boatmen, '' a stranger in a strange land ; " no 
home to which to go ; no friends to sympathise with her. For- 
tunately for her, the Hudson's Bay officials at Lower Fort Garry 
were made aware of her sorrows, and received her into one of 
their homes ere the child died. The Rev. Mr. Cowley also came 
and prayed for her, and sympathised with her on the loss of her 
beautiful child. 

As I was far away when Nellie died, Mrs. Young knew not 
what to do with our precious dead. A temporary grave was 
made, and in it the body was laid until I could be communicated 
with, and arrangements could be made for its permanent inter- 
ment. I wrote at once by an Indian to the Venerable Archdeacon 
Cowley, asking permission to bury our dead in his graveyard ; 
and there came promptly back, by the canoe, a very brotherly, 
sympathetic letter, ending up with, " Our graveyards are open 
before you ; * in the choicest of our sepulchres bury thy dead.* " 
A few weeks after, when I had handed over my Mission to 
Brother Kuttan, I hurried on to the settlement, and with a few 
sympathising friends, mostly Indians, we took up the little body 
from its temporary resting-place, and buried it in the St. Peter's 
Church graveyard, the dear archdeacon himself being present, 
and reading the beautiful Burial Service of his Church. That 
land to us has been doubly precious since it has become the 
repository of our darling child. 

As we floated down the current, or were propelled along by the 



DANGERS ON LAKE WINNIPEG. 47 

oars of our Indian boatmen, on that first journey, little did we 
imagine that this sad episode in our lives would happen in that 
very spot a few years after. When we were near the end of the 
Indian Settlement, as it is called, we saw several Indians on the 
bank, holding on to a couple of oxen. Our boats were imme- 
diately turned in to the shore near them, and, to our great 
astonishment, we found out that each boat was to have an 
addition to its passenger list in the shape of one of these big 
fellows. The getting of these animals shipped was no easy 
matter, as there was no wharf or gangway; but after a good 
deal of pulling and pushing, and lifting up of one leg, and then 
another, the patient brutes were embarked on the frail crafts, 
to be our companions during the voyage to Norway House. The 
position assigned to the one in our boat was just in front of us, 
"broadside on," as the sailors would say; his head often hanging 
over one side of the boat, and his tail over the other side. The 
only partition there was between him and us was a single board 
a few inches wide. Such close proximity to this animal for four- 
teen days was not very agreeable ; but as it could not be helped 
it had to be endured. 

At times, during the first few days, the ox made some desperate 
efforts to break loose ; and it seemed as though he would either 
smash our boat to pieces or upset it; but, finding his efforts 
unsuccessful, he gracefully accepted the situation, and behaved 
himself admirably. When storms arose he quietly lay down, and 
served as so much ballast to steady the boat. " Tom," the guide, 
kept him well supplied with food from the rich nutritious grasses 
which grew abundantly along the shore at our different camping- 
places. 

Winnipeg is considered one of the stormiest lakes on the 
American Continent. It is about three hundred miles long, 
and varies from eighty to but a few miles in width. It is 
indented with innumerable bays, and is dangerous to navigators, 
on account of its many shoals and hidden rocks. Winnipeg, or 
Wenipak, as some Indians pronounce it, means " the sea," and 
Keche Wenipak means " the ocean." 

The trip across Lake Winnipeo- was one that at the present 



48 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

day would be considered a great hardship, taking into considera- 
tion the style of the boat and the way we travelled. 

Our method of procedure was about as follows. We were 
Aroused very early in the morning by the guide's cry of Koos hoos 
^wa ! " Wake up ! " Everybody was expected to obey promptly, 
•as there was always a good deal of rivalry between the boats as 
to which could get away first. A hasty breakfast was prepared 
on the rocks; after which a morning hymn was sung, and an 
earnest prayer was offered up to Him Who holds the winds and 
waves under His control. 

Then ''All aboard" was the cry, and soon tents, kettles, axes, 
and all the other things were hurriedly gathered up and placed 
on board. If the wind was favourable, the mast was put up, the 
sail hoisted, and we were soon rapidly speeding on our way. If 
the oars had to be used, there was not half the alacrity displayed 
by the poor fellows, who Avell knew how wearisome their task 
would be. When we had a favourable wind, we generally dined 
as well as we could in the boat, to save time, as the rowers well 
knew how much more pleasant it was to glide along with the 
favouring breeze than to be obliged to work at the heavy oars. 
Often during whole nights we sailed on, although at considerable 
risks in that treacherous lake, rather than lose the fair wind. 
For, if there ever was, in this world of uncertainties, one route 
of more uncertainty than another, the palm must be conceded to 
the voyages on Lake Winnipeg in those Hudson's Bay Company's 
inland boats. You might make the trip in four days, or even 
a few hours less; and you might be thirty days, and a few 
hours over. 

Once, in after years, I was detained for six days on a little 
rocky islet by a fierce northern gale, which at times blew with 
such force that we could not keep up a tent or even stand upright 
against its fury ; and as there was not sufficient soil in which to 
drive a tent pin, we, with all our bedding and supplies, were 
drenched by the pitiless sleet and rain. Often in these later 
years, when I have heard people, sitting in the comfortable 
waiting-room of a railway station, bitterly complaining because 
a train was an hour or two late, memory has carried me back 



PICTURESQUE ENCAMPMENTS. 49 

to some of those long detentions amidst the most disagreeable 
surroundings, and I have wondered at the trifles which can upset 
the equanimity of some or cause them to show such frefcfulness. 

When the weather was fine, the camping on the shore was very 
enjoyable. Our tent was quickly erected by willing hands ; the 
camp fire was kindled, and glowed with increasing brightness as 
the shadows of night fell around us. The evening meal was soon 
prepared, and an hour or two would sometimes be spent in 
pleasant converse with our dusky friends, who were most delightful 
travelling companions. Our days always began and closed with 
a religious service. All of our Indian companions in the two 
boats on this first trip were Christians, in the best and truest 
sense of the word. They were the converts of the earlier mis- 
sionaries of our Church. At first they were a little reserved, and 
acted as though they imagined we expected them to be very 
sedate and dignified. For, like some white folks, they imagined 
the "black-coat" and his wife did not believe in laughter or 
pleasantry. However, we soon disabused their minds of those 
erroneous ideas, and before we reached Norway House we were 
on the best of terms with each other. We knew but little of 
their language, but some of them had a good idea of English, 
and, using these as our interpreters, we got along finely. 

They were well furnished with Testaments and hymn-books, 
printed in the beautiful syllabic characters ; and they used them 
well. This worshipping with a people who used to us an unknown 
tongue was at first rather novel ; but it attracted and charmed 
us at once. We were forcibly struck with the reverential manner 
in which they conducted their devotions. No levity or indif- 
ference marred the solemnity of their rehgious services. They 
listened very attentively while one of their number read to them 
from the sacred Word, and gave the closest attention to what I 
had to say, through an interpreter. 

Yery sweetly and soothingly sounded the hymns of praise and 
adoration that welled up from their musical voices ; and though 
we understood them not, yet in their earnest prayers there 
seemed to be so much that was real and genuine, as in pathetic 
tones they ofiered up their petitions, that we felt it to be a great 



50 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

privilege and a source of much blessing, when with them we 
bowed at the mercy- seat of our great loving Father, to "Whom all 
languages of earth are known, and before Whom all hearts are 
open. 

Very helpful at times to devout worship were our surroundings. 
As in the ancient days, when the vast multitudes gathered 
around Him on the seaside and were comforted and cheered by 
His presence, so we felt on these quiet shores of the lake that 
we were worshipping Him Who is always the same. At times 
delightful and suggestive were our environments. With Winni- 
peg's sunlit waves before us, the blue sky above us, the dark, 
deep, primeval forest as our background, and the massive granite 
rocks beneath us, we often felt a nearness of access to Him, the 
Sovereign of the universe. Who "dwelleth not in temples made 
with hands," but " Who covereth Himself with light as with a 
garment ; Who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain ; Who 
layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters ; Who maketh 
the clouds His chariot ; Who walketh upon the wings of the 
wind ; Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not 
be removed for ever." 

Our Sabbaths were days of rest. The Christian Indians had 
been taught by their faithful missionaries the fourth command- 
ment, and they kept it well. Although far from their homes and 
their beloved sanctuary, they respected the day. When they 
camped on Saturday night, all the necessary preparations were 
made for a quiet, restful Sabbath. All the wood that would be 
needed to cook the day's supplies was secured, and the food that 
required cooking was prepared. Guns were stowed away, and 
although sometimes ducks or other game would come near, they 
were not disturbed. Generally two religious services were held 
and enjoyed. The Testaments and hymn-books were well used 
throughout the day, and an atmosphere of " Paradise Kegained" 
seemed to pervade the place. 

At first, long years ago, the Hudson's Bay Company's officials 
bitterly opposed the observance of the Sabbath by their boatmen 
and tripmen; but the missionaries were true and firm, and although 
persecution for a time abounded, eventually right and truth pre- 



52 BF CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

vailed, and our Christian Indians were left to keep the day 
without molestation. And, as has always been found to be the 
case in such instances, there was no loss, but rather gain. Our 
Christian Indians, who rested the Sabbath day, were never 
behindhand. On the long trips into the interior or down to 
York Factory or Hudson Bay, these Indian canoe brigades 
used to make better time, have better health, and bring up 
their boats and cargoes in better shape, than the Catholic Half- 
breeds or pagan Indians, who pushed on without any day of rest. 
Years of studying this question, judging from the standpoint of 
the work accomplished and its effects on men's physical consti- 
tution, apart altogether from its moral and religious aspect, 
most conclusively taught me that the institution of the one day 
in seven as a day of rest is for man's highest good. 

Thus we journeyed on, meeting with various adventures by 
the way. One evening, rather than lose the advantage of a good 
wind, our party resolved to sail on throughout the night. We 
had no compass or chart, no moon or fickle Auroras lit up the 
watery waste. Clouds, dark and heavy, flitted by, obscuring the 
dim starlight, and adding to the risk and danger of our proceed- 
ing. On account of the gloom part of the crew were kept on the 
watch continually. The bowsman, with a long pole in his hands, 
sat in the prow of the boat, alert and watchful. For a long 
time I sat with the steersman in the stern of our little craft, 
enjoying this weird way of travelling. Out of the darkness 
behind us into the vague blackness before us we plunged. Some- 
times through the darkness came the sullen roar and dash of 
waves against the rocky isles or dangerous shore near at hand, 
reminding us of the risks we were running, and what need there 
was of the greatest care. 

Our camp bed had been spread on some boards in the hinder 
part of our little boat; and here Mrs. Young, who for a time 
had enjoyed the exciting voyage, was now fast asleep. I remained 
up with " Big Tom " until after midnight ; and then, having 
exhausted my stock of Indian words in conversation with him, 
and becoming weary, I wrapped a blanket around myself and 
lay down to rest. Hardly had I reached the land of dreams. 



ALMOST A SHIPWRECK. 53 

when I was suddenly awakened by being most unceremoniously 
thrown, with wife, bedding, bales, boxes, and some drowsy 
Indians, on one side of the boat. We scrambled up as well as 
we could, and endeavoured to take in our situation. The dark- 
ness was intense, but we could easily make out the fact that our 
boat was stuck fast. The wind whistled around us, and bore 
with such power upon our big sail that the wonder was that it 
did not snap the mast or ropes. The sail was quickly lowered, 
a lantern was lit, but its flickering light showed no land in view. 
We had run upon a submerged rock, and there we were held 
fast. In vain the Indians, using their big oars as poles, en- 
deavoured to push the boat back into deep water. Finding 
this impossible, some of them sprang out into the water which 
threatened to engulf them ; but, with the precarious footing the 
submerged rock gave them, they pushed and shouted, when, 
being aided by a giant wave, the boat at last was pushed over 
into the deep water beyond. At considerable risk and thoroughly 
drenched, the brave fellows scrambled on board ; the sail was 
again hoisted, and away we sped through the gloom and darkness. 



a t 4ll,. ' a.u^^-, U ' .. ! IIU l lj_IJUUJ I UUJ I UUJUJLU;l-tLmaj XG JU.IJlLlLX l .lL^JJJU^-a-l 'LaL||l-:|IJIlJlJ..rt?ng--;U^^ i;uu [|HlM^i|^||^jH^^j^" sl 




CHAPTER V. 

ARRIVAL AT NORWAY HOUSE — OUR NEW HOME — REV, CHARLES STRING- 
FELLOW — THUNDERSTORM — REV. JAMES EVANS — SYLLABIC CHA- 
RACTERS INVENTED — DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME — HELP FROM ENGLISH 
WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY AND FROM BRITISH AND FOREIGN 
BIBLE SOCIETY — EXTENSIVE USE OF THE SYLLABIC CHARACTERS — 
OUR PEOPLE, CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN — LEARNING LESSONS BY DEAR 
EXPERIENCE — THE HUNGRY WOMAN — THE MAN WITH THE TWO 
DUCKS — OUR FIRST SABBATH IN OUR NEW FIELD — SUNDAY SCHOOL 
AND SABBATH SERVICES — FAMILY ALTARS. 



WE reached Norway House on the afternoon of the 29th of 
July, 1868, and received a very cordial welcome from 
James Stewart, Esq., the gentleman in charge of this Hudson's 
Bay post. This is one of the most important establishments of 
this wealthy fur-trading Company. Eor many years it was the 
capital, at which the different officers and other officials from 
the different districts of this vast country were in the habit of 
meeting annually for the purpose of arranging the various 
matters in connection with their prosecution of the fur trade. 
Here Sir George Simpson, for many years the energetic and 
despotic Governor, used to come to meet these officials, travelling 
by birch canoe, manned by his matchless crew of Iroquois Indians, 
all the way from Montreal, a distance of several thousand miles. 
Here immense quantities of furs were collected from the different 
trading posts, and then shipped to England by way of Hudson's 
Bay. 

The sight of this well-kept establishment, and the courtesy and 
cordial welcome extended to us, were very pleasing after our long 
toilsome voyage up Lake "Winnipeg. But still we were two 



IN OUR MISSION FIELD. 66 

miles and a half from our Indian Mission, and so we were full of 
anxiety to reach the end of our journey. Mr. Stewart, however, 
insisted on our remaining to tea with him, and then took us over 
to the Indian village in his own row-boat, manned by four sturdy 
Highlanders. Ere we reached the shore, sweet sounds of melody 
fell upon our ears. The Wednesday evening service was being 
held, and songs of praise were being sung by the Indian congrega- 
tion, the notes of which reached us as we neared the margin and 
landed upon the rocky beach. We welcomed this as a pleasing 
omen, and rejoiced at it as one of the grand evidences of the 
Gospel's power to change. Not many years ago the horrid yells 
of the conjurer, and the whoops of the savage Indians, were here 
the only familiar sounds. Now the sweet songs of Zion are 
heard, and God's praises are sung by a people whose lives attest 
the genuineness of the work accomplished. 

We were cordially welcomed by Mrs. Stringfellow in the 
Mission house, and were soon afterwards joined by her husband, 
who had been conducting the religious services in the church. 
Yery thankful were we that after our long and adventurous 
journeyings for two months and eighteen days, by land and 
water, through the good providence of God we had reached our 
field of toil among the Cree Indians, where for years we were to 
be permitted to labour. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow remained with us for a few days 
ere they set out on their return trip to the province of Ontario. 
We took sweet counsel together, and I received a great deal of 
valuable information in reference to the prosecution of our work 
among these Bed men. For eleven years the missionary and 
his wife had toiled and sufiered in this northern land. A good 
degree of success had attended their efforts, and we were much 
pleased with the state in which we found everything connected 
with the Mission. 

While we were at family prayers the fii^st evening after our 
arrival, there came up one of the most terrific thunderstorms we 
ever experienced. The heavy Mission house, although built of 
logs, and well mudded and clap-boarded, shook so much while we 
were on our knees that several large pictures fell from the walls ; 



66 £Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

one of which, tumbhng on Brother Stringfellow's head, put a 
very sudden termination to his evening devotions. 

Kossville Mission, ]S"orway House, was commenced by the Rev. 
James Evans in the year 1840. • It has been, and still is, one of 
the most successful Indian Missions in America. Here Mr. 
Evans invented the syllabic characters, by which an intelligent 
Indian can learn to read the Word of God in ten days or two 
weeks. Earnestly desirous to devise some method by which the 
wandering Indians could acquire the art of reading in a more 
expeditious manner than by the use of the English alphabet, he 
invented these characters, each of which stands for a syllable. 
He carved his first type with his pocket-knife, and procured the 
lead for the purpose from the tea-chests of the Hudson's Bay 
Company's post. His first ink he made out of the soot from the 
chimney, and his first paper was birch bark. Great was the 
excitement among the Indians when he had perfected his inven- 
tion, and had begun printing in their own language. The con- 
jurers, and other pagan Indians, were very much alarmed, when, 
as they expressed it, they found the " bark of the tree was 
beginning to talk." 

The English Wesleyan Missionary Society was early impressed 
with the advantage of this wonderful invention, and the great 
help it would be in carrying on the blessed work. At great 
expense they sent out a printing press, with a large quantity 
of type, which they had had specially cast. Abundance of 
paper, and everything else essential, were furnished. For years 
portions of the Word of God, and a goodly number of hymns 
translated into the Cree language, were printed, and incalculable 
good resulted. 

Other missionary organisations at work in the country quickly 
saw the advantage of using these syllabic characters, and were 
not slow to avail themselves of them. While all lovers of 
Missions rejoice at this, it is to be regretted that some, from 
whom better things might have been expected, were anxious to 
take the credit of the invention, instead of giving it to its 
rightful claimant, the Rev. James Evans. It is a remarkable 
fact, that so perfectly did Mr. Evans do his work, that no 



OUB FIRST SABBATH. B7 

improvement has been made as regards the use of these characters 
among the Cree Indians. 

Other missionaries have introduced them t.mong other tribes 
with additions to meet the sounds used in those tribes which are 
not found among the Crees. They have even been successfully 
utilised by the Moravians among the Esquimaux. 

On our arrival at Rossville the Indians crowded in to see the 
new missionary and his wife, and were very cordial in their 
greetings. Even some pagan Indians, dressed up in their wild 
picturesque costumes, came to see us, and were very friendly. 

As quickly as possible we settled down to our work, and tried 
to grasp its possibilities. We saw many pleasing evidences of 
what had been accomplished by faithful predecessors, and were 
soon convinced of the greatness of the work yet to be done. For, 
while from our church, and the houses of our Christian people, 
the songs of Zion were heard, our ears were saluted by the shouts 
and yells of old Indian conjurers and medicine-men, added to the 
monotonous sounds of their drums, which came to us nightly from 
almost every point in the compass, from islands and headlands 
not far away. 

Our first Sabbath was naturally a very interesting day. Our 
own curiosity to see our people was doubtless equalled by that of 
the people to see their new missionary. Pagans flocked in with 
Christians, until the church was crowded. We were very much 
pleased with their respectful demeanour in the house of God. 
There was no laughing or frivolity in the sanctuary. With their 
moccasined feet and cat-like tread, several hundred Indians 
did not make one quarter the noise often heard in Christian 
lands, made by audiences one-tenth the size. We were much 
delighted with their singing. There is a pecuHar plaintive 
sweetness about Indian singing that has for me a special 
attractiveness. Scores of them brought their Bibles to the 
jhurch. When I announced the lessons for the day, the quick- 
ness with which they found the places showed their familiarity 
with the sacred volume. During prayers they were old-fashioned 
Methodists enough to kneel down while the Sovereign of the 
universe was being addressed. They sincerely and literally 



68 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

entered into the spirit of the Psalmist when he said : "0 come, 
let us worship and bow down : let us kneel before the Lord our 
Maker." 

I was fortunate in securing for my interpreter a thoroughly 
good Indian by the name of Timothy Bear. He was of an 
emotional nature, and rendered good service to the cause of 
Christ. Sometimes, when interpreting for me the blessed truths 
of the Gospel, his heart would get fired up, and he would become 
so absorbed in his theme that he would in a most eloquent way 
beseech and plead with the people to accept this wonderful 
salvation. 

As the days rolled by, and we went in and out among them, 
and contrasted the pagan with the Christian Indian, we saw 
many evidences that the Gospel is still the power of God unto 
salvation, and that, whenever accepted in its fulness, it brings 
not only peace and joy to the heart, but is attended by the 
secondary blessings of civilisation. The Christian Indians could 
easily be picked out by the improved appearance of their iiomes, 
as well as by the marvellous change in their lives and actions. 

We found out, before we had been there many days, that we 
had much to learn about Indian customs and habits and modes 
of thought. For example : the day after Mr. and Mrs. String- 
fellow had left us, a poor woman came in, and by the sign language 
let Mrs. Young know that she was very hungry. On the table 
were a large loaf of bread, a large piece of corned beef, and a dish 
of vegetables, left over from our boat supplies. My good wife's 
sympathies were aroused at the poor woman's story, and, cutting 
off a generous supply of meat and bread, and adding thereto a 
large quantity of the vegetables and a quart of tea, she seated 
the woman at the table before the hearty meal. Without any 
trouble the guest disposed of the whole, and then, to our amaze- 
ment, began pulling up the skirt of her dress at the side till she 
had formed a capacious pocket. Reaching over, she seized the 
meat, and put it in this large receptacle, the loaf of bread quickly 
followed, and lastly, the dish of vegetables. Then, getting up 
from her chair, she turned towards us, saying, " Na-nas-koo-moo- 
wi-nah," which is the Cree for thanksgiving. She gracefully 



INDIAN CUSTOMS. 



59 



backed out of the dining-room, holding carefully on to her supplies. 
Mrs. Young and I looked in astonishment, but said nothing till 
she had gone out. We could not help laughing at the queer sight, 
although the food which had disappeared in this unexpected way 
was what was to have been our principal support for two or three 
days, until our supplies should have arrived. Afterwards, when 




of 
is 



expressing our astonishment at 
what looked like the greediness 
of this woman, we learned that 
she had only complied with the strict eti- 
quette of her tribe. It seems it is their 
habit, when they make a feast for anybody, 
give them a dinner, if fortunate enough to have abundance 
food, to put a large quantity before them. The invited guest 
expected to eat all he can, and then to carry the rest away. 



60 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

This was exactly what the poor woman did. From this lesson 
of experience we learnt just to place before them what we felt 
our limited abilities enabled us to give at the time. 

One day a fine-looking Indian came in with a couple of fat 
ducks. As our supplies were low, we were glad to see them ; and 
in taking them I asked him what I should give him for them. 
His answer was, " 0, nothing ; they are a pr'esent for the mis- 
sionary and his wife." Of course I was delighted at this 
exhibition of generosity on the part of this entire stranger to us 
so soon after our arrival in this wild land. The Indian at once 
made himself at home with us, and kept us busy answering 
questions and explaining to him everything that excited his 
curiosity. Mrs. Young had to leave her work to play for his 
edification on the little melodeon. He remained to dinner, and 
ate one of the ducks, while Mrs. Young and I had the other. 
He hung around all the afternoon, and did ample justice to a 
supper out of our supplies. He tarried with us until near the 
hour for retiring, when I gently hinted to him that T thought 
it was about time he went to see if his wigwam was where he 
left it. 

*' 0," he exclaimed, " I am only waiting." 

"Waiting? " I said ; " for what are you waiting? " 

" I am waiting for the present you are going to give me for the 
present I gave you." 

I at once took in the situation, and went off and got him some- 
thing worth half-a-dozen times as much as his ducks, and he went 
off very happy. 

When he was gone, my good wife and I sat down, and we said, 
*' Here is lesson number two. Perhaps, after we have been here 
a while, we shall know something about the Indians." 

After that we accepted of no presents from them, but insisted 
on paying a reasonable price for everything we needed which 
they had to sell. 

Our Sunday's work began with the Sunday School at nine 
o'clock. All the boys and girls attended, and often there were 
present many of the adults. The children were attentive and 
respectful, and many of them were able to repeat large portions 



SUNDAY SERVICES. 61 

of Scripture from memory. A goodly number studied the Cate- 
chism translated into their own language. They sang the hymns 
sweetly, and joined with us in repeating the Lord's Prayer. 

The public service followed at half-past ten o'clock. This 
morning service was always in English, although the hymns, 
lessons, and text would be announced in the two languages. The 
Hudson's Bay officials who might be at the Fort two miles away, 
and all their emjjloyes, regularly attended this morning service. 
Then, as many of the Indians understood English, and our object 
was ever to get them all to know more and more about it, this 
service usually was largely attended by the people. The great 
Indian service was held in the afternoon. It was all their own, 
and was very much prized by them. At the morning service 
they were very dignified and reserved; at the afternoon they 
sang with an enthusiasm that was delightful, and were not 
afraid, if their hearts prompted them to it, to come out with a 
glad " Amen ! " 

They bring with them to the sanctuary their Bibles, and very 
sweet to my ears was the rustle of many leaves as they rapidly 
turned to the Lessons of the day in the Old or New Testament. 
Sermons were never considered too long. Yery quietly and 
reverently did the people come into the house of God, and with 
equal respect for the place, and for Him Whom there they had 
worshipped, did they depart. Dr. Taylor, one of our missionary 
secretaries, when visiting us, said at the close of one of these 
hallowed afternoon services, " Mr. Young, if the good people who 
help us to support Missions and missionaries could see what 
my eyes have beheld to-day, they would most cheerfully and 
gladly give us ten thousand dollars a year more for our Indian 
Missions." 

Every Sunday evening I went over to the Fort, by canoe in 
summer, and dog-train in winter, and held service there. A 
little chapel had been specially fitted up for these evening services. 
Another service was also held in the church at the Mission by 
the Indians themselves. There were among them several who 
could preach very acceptable sermons, and others who, with a 
burning eloquence, could tell, like Paul, the story of their own 



62 BY CANOE AND DOG- TRAIN. 

conversion, and beseech others to be likewise reconciled to 
God. 

We were surprised at times by seeing companies of pagan 
Indians stalk . into the church during the services, not always 
acting in a way becoming to the house or day. At first it was 
a matter of surprise to me that our Christian Indians put up 
with some of these irregularities. I was very much astounded 
one day by the entrance of an old Indian called Tapastanum, 
who, rattling his ornaments, and crying, " Ho ! Ho ! " came into 
the church in a sort of trot, and gravely kissed several of the 
men and women. As my Christian Indians seemed to stand 
the interruption, I felt that I could. Soon he sat down, at the 
invitation of Big Tom, and listened to me. He was grotesquely 
dressed, and had a good-sized looking-glass hanging on his breast, 
kept in its place by a string hung around his neck. To aid 
himself in listening, he lit his big pipe and smoked through the 
rest of the service. When I spoke to the people afterwards 
about the conduct of this man, so opposite to their quiet, respect- 
ful demeanour in the house of God, their expressive, charitable 
answer was : " Such were we once, as ignorant as Tapastanum 
is now. Let us have patience with him, and perhaps he, too, 
will soon decide to give his heart to God. Let him come ; he 
will get quiet when he gets the light." 

The week evenings were nearly all filled up with services of 
one kind or another, and were well attended, or otherwise, accord- 
ing as the Indians might be present at the village, or away 
hunting, or fishing, or " tripping" for the Hvidson's Bay Company. 
What pleased us very much was the fact that in the homes 
of the people there were so many family altars. It was very 
delightful to take a quiet walk in the gloaming through the 
village, and hear from so many little homes the voice of the 
head of the family reading the precious volume, or the sounds of 
prayer and praise. Those were times when in every professed 
Christian home in the village there was a family altar. 




CHAPTER VT. 

CONSTANT PROGRESS— woman's SAD CONDITION IN PAGANISM— ILLUS- 
TRATIONS— WONDROUS CHANGES PRODUCED BY CHRISTIANITY- 
ILLUSTRATIONS— NEW year's day CHRISTIAN FESTIVAL — THE AGED 
AND FEEBLE ONES FIRST REMEMBERED— CLOSING THANKSGIVtNO 
SERVICES. 



WE found ourselves in a Christian village surrounded by 
paganism. The contrast between the two classes was very 
evident. 

Our Christians, as fast as they were able to build, were living 
in comfortable houses, and earnestly endeavouring to lift them- 
selves up in the social circle. Their personal appearance was 
better, and cleanliness was accepted as next to godliness. On the 
Sabbaths they were well dressed, and presented such a respectable 
and devout appearance in the sanctuary as to win the admiration 
of all who visited us. The great majority of those who made 
a profession of faith lived honest, sober, and consistent lives, and 
thus showed the genuineness of the change wrought in them by 
the glorious Gospel of the Son of God. 

One of the most delightful and tangible evidences of the 
thoroughness and genuineness of the change was seen in the 
improvement in the family life. Such a thing as genuine home 
life, with mutual love and sympathy existing among the different 
members of the family, was unknown in their pagan state. The 
men, and even boys, considered it a sign of courage and manlines-^ 
to despise and shamefully treat their mothers, wives, or sisters. 
Christianity changed all this ; and we were constant witnesses of 
the genuineness of the change wrought in the hearts and lives of 



64 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

this people by the preaching of the Gospel, by seeing how woman 
was uplifted from her degraded position to her true place in the 
household 

My heart was often pained at what I saw among some of the 
wild savage bands around us. When, by canoe in summer, or 
dog-train in winter, I have visited these wild men, I have seen 
the proud, lazy hunter come stalking into the camp with his gun 
on his shoulder, and in loud, imperative tones shout out to his 
poor wife, who was busily engaged in cutting wood, " Get up 
there, you dog, my squaw, and go back on my tracks in the woods, 
and bring in the deer I have shot ; and hurry, for I want my 
food ! " To quicken her steps, although she was hurrying as 
rapidly as possible, a stick was thrown at her, which fortunately 
she was able to dodge. 

Seizing the long carrying strap, which is a piece of leather 
several feet in length, and wide at the middle, where it rests 
against the forehead when in use, she rapidly glides away on the 
trail made by her husband's snow-shoes, it may be for miles, to 
the spot where lies the deer he has shot. Fastening one end of 
the strap to the haunches of the deer, and the other around its 
neck, after a good deal of effort and ingenuity, she succeeds at 
length in getting the animal, which may weigh from a hundred- 
and fifty to two hundred pounds, upon her back, supported by 
the strap across her forehead. Panting with fatigue, she comes 
in with her heavy burden, and as she throws it down she is met 
with a sharp stern command from the lips of the despot called 
her husband, who has thought it beneath his dignity to carry in 
the deer himself, but who imagines it to be a sign of his being a 
great brave thus to treat his wife. The gun was enough for him 
to carry. Without giving the poor tired creature a moment's 
rest, he shouts out again for her to hurry up and be quick ; he 
is hungry, and wants his dinner. 

The poor woman, although almost exhausted, knows full well, 
by the bitter experiences of the past, that to delay an instant 
would bring upon herself severe punishment, and so she quickly 
seizes the scalping knife and deftly skins the animal, and fills 
a pot with the savoury venison, which is soon boiled and placed 



SURROUNDED BY PAGANISM. 



65 



before his highness. While he, and the men and boys whom he 
may choose to invite to eat with him, are rapidly devouring the 
venison, the poor woman has her first moments of rest. She goes 
and seats herself down where women and girls and dogs are con- 
gregated, and there women and dogs struggle for the half-picked 
bones which the men, with derisive laughter, throw among them ! 
This was one of the sad aspects of paganism which I often had 
to witness as I travelled among those bands that had not, up to 
that time, accepted the Gospel. When these poor women get old 
and feeble, very sad and deplorable is their condition. When 
able to toil and slave, they are tolerated as necessary evils. 
When aged and weak, they are shamefully neglected, and, often, 
put out of existence. 

One of the missionaries, on visiting a pagan band, preached from 
those blessed words of the Saviour: " Come unto Me, all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In his 
sermon he spoke about life's toils and burdens, and how all men 
had to work and labour. The men of the congregation were 
very angry at him ; and at an indignation meeting which they 
held, they said, " Let him go to the squaws with that kind of 
talk. They have to carry all the heavy burdens, and do the 
hard work. Such stuff as that is not for us men, but for the 
women." So they were offended at him. 

At a small Indian settlement on the north-eastern shores of 
Lake Winnipeg lived a chief by the name of Moo-koo-woo-soo, 
who deliberately strangled his mother, and then burnt her body 
to ashes. When questioned about the horrid deed, he coolly and 
heartlessly said that as she had become too old to snare rabbits 
or catch fish, he was not going to be bothered with keeping her, 
and so he deliberately put her to death. Such instances could 
be multiplied many times. Truly *' the tender mercies of the 
wicked are cruel." 

In delightful contrast to these sad sights among the degraded 
savages around us, were the kindly ways and happy homes of 
our converted Indians. Among them a woman occupied her 
true position, and was well and lovingly treated. The aged and 
infirm, who but for the Gospel would have been dealt with as 



66 £Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

Moo-koo-woo-soo dealt with his mother, had the warmest place 
in the little home and the daintiest morsel on the table. I have 
seen the sexton of the church throw wide open the door of the 
sanctuary, that two stalwart young men might easily enter, 
carrying in their arms their invalid mother, who had expressed 
a desire to come to the house of God. Tenderly they supported 
her until the service ended, and then they lovingly carried her 
home again. But for the Gospel's blessed influences on their 
haughty natures they would have died ere doing such a thing 
for a woman, even though she were their own mother. 

Life for the women was not now all slavery. They had their 
happy hours, and knew well how to enjoy them. Nothing, how- 
ever, seemed so to delight them as to be gliding about in the 
glorious summer time in their light canoes. And sometimes, 
combining pleasure with profit, many a duck was shot by these 
young Indian maidens. 

This changed feeling towards the aged and afflicted ones we 
have seen manifested in a very expressive and blessed way at 
the great annual New Year's Feast. It was customary for the 
Indians, long before they became Christians, to have a great 
feast at the beginning of the New Year. In the old times, the 
principal article of food at these horrid feasts was dogs, the eating 
of which was accompanied by many revolting ceremonies. The mis- 
sionaries, instead of abolishing the feast, turned it into a religious 
festival. I carried out the methods of my worthy predecessors at 
Norway House, and so we had a feast every New Year's Day. 

The Crees call this day " Ooche-me-gou Kesigow," which 
literally means " the kissing day," as on this day the men claim 
the right to kiss every woman they meet ; and, strange to say, 
every woman expects to be kissed. It used to amuse me very 
much to see thiity or forty Indians, dressed up in their finest 
apparel, come quietly marching into the Mission House, and 
gravely kiss Mrs. Young on her cheek. When I used to rally 
her over this strange phase of unexpected missionary experience, 
she would laughingly retort, " 0, you need not laugh at me. See 
that crowd of women out there in the yard, expecting you to go 
out and kiss them ! " It was surprising how much work that 



68 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

day kept me shut in my study ; or if that expedient would not 
avail, I used to select a dear old sweet-faced, white-haired 
grandma, the mother of the chief, and say, " Now I am going to 
kiss grandma ; and as I kiss her you must all consider yourselves 
kissed." This institution is more ancient among them than 
shaking hands, about which they knew nothing until it was 
introduced by the whites. 

For weeks before New Year's Day great preparations were 
made for the feast. A council would be called, and the men 
would have recorded what they were willing to give towards it. 
Some, who were good deer-hunters, promised venison. Others 
promised so many beavers. Perhaps there were those who knew 
where bears had made their winter dens, and they agreed to go 
and kill them for the feast. Others, who were good fur-hunters, 
stated their willingness to exchange some of the furs they would 
catch for flour and tea and sugar at the trading post. 

Thus the business went on, until enough was promised, with 
the liberal supplies given by the Hudson's Bay Company's officials 
and the missionary, to make the affair a great success. An out- 
building of the Mission, called "the fish house," was the place 
where all these various things, as they were obtained, were stored. 
Months were sometimes consumed in collecting the meat. But 
Jack Frost is a good preservative, and so nothing spoiled. A 
few days before the feast, Mrs. Young would select several of the 
Indian women, and under her superintendency the various supplies 
would be cooked. Very clever were these willing helpers ; and in 
a short time a quantity of food would be piled up, sufficient for 
all, although it is well known that Indians have good appetites. 

When the great day arrived, the men quickly removed the 
seats out of the church, and there put up long tables. * Great 
boilers of tea were made ready, and every preparation was com- 
pleted for a good time. But, before a mouthful was eaten by 
any of the eight hundred or tlousand persons present, the chief 
used to ask me for a pencil and a piece of writing paper ; and 
then, standing up on a box or bench, he would shout out, " How 
many of our people are aged, or sick, or afflicted, and cannot be 
with us to-day?" As one name after another was mentioned, 



THE NEW YEAR'S FEAST. 69 

he rapidly wrote them down. Then he read over the list, and 
said, " Let us not forget any one." Somebody shouted out, 
" There is an old woman ten miles up the river towards the old 
Fort." Somebody else said, " Have you the name of that boy 
who was accidentally shot in the leg ? " Their names were both 
put down. Then somebody says, " There are two or three left 
behind in the tent of the pagans, while the rest have come to the 
feast." " Let us feed those who have come, and send something 
with our kind greetings to the others," is the unanimous response. 

When it was certain that none had been overlooked, a request 
was made to me for all the old newspapers and packing paper 
I could give them, and soon loving hands were busily engaged in 
cutting off large pieces of different kinds of meat and arranging 
them with the largo fiat cakes in generous bundles. To these 
were added little packages of tea and sugar. In this way as 
many large bundles — each containing an assortment of every- 
thing at the feast — would be made up as there were names on 
the paper. Then the chief would call in, from where the young 
men were busily engaged in playing football, as many of the 
fleet runners as there were bundles, and giving each his load, 
would indicate the person to whom he was to give it, and also 
would add, " Give them our New Year's greetings and sympathy, 
and tell them we are sorry they cannot be with us to-day." 

Yery delightful were these sights to us. Such things paid us 
a thousandfold for our hardships and sufferings. Here, before 
a mouthful was eaten by the healthy and vigorous ones, large 
generous bundles, that would last for days, were sent off to the 
aged and infirm or wounded ones, who in all probability, but for 
the blessed influences of the Gospel, if not quickly and cruelly 
put out of existence, would have been allowed to linger on in 
Qeglect and wretchedness. 

Even the young runners seemed to consider that it was an 
honour to be permitted to carry these bundles, with the loving 
messages, to the distant homes or wigwams where the afflicted 
ones were. It was quite amusing to watch them tighten up 
their belts and dash off like deers. Some of them had several 
miles to go ; but what cared they on this glad day ? 



70 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

According to seniority the tables were filled, and the feast 
began as soon as the " Grace before Meat " had been sung. Mrs. 
Young had her own long table, and to it she invited not only the 
Hudson's Bay Company's people, but as many of the aged and 
worthy from among the poor Indians as we wished specially to 
honour. Sometimes we filled one table with wild pagans who 
had come in from some distant forest home, attracted by the 
reports of the coming great feast. Through their stomachs we 
sometimes reached their hearts, and won them to Christ. 

Thus for hours the feast continued, until all had been supplied. 
None were neglected, and everybody was happy. Then with a 
glad heart they sang : 

" Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow." 

When all the guests were satisfied, what was left was carried 
oft' by the needy ones, among whom it was generously divided ; the 
tables were quickly taken down by the men, and the church was 
speedily swept clean by some active women. The seats and pews 
were replaced, and every arrangement was made for the great 
annual New Year's Meeting. The church was lit up ; and when 
the audience had gathered, a chairman was appointed, and, after 
singing and prayer, speeches were made by several of the 
Indians. 

Many pleasant and many sensible things were said. Some of 
the sober-minded ones reviewed the year just gone, with all its 
blessings and mercies, and expressed the hope that the one on 
which they had entered would be crowned with blessings. Some 
of the speeches referred to Treaty matters with the Government, 
and others were in reference to their huntings and fisheries. 
Some were bright and witty, and were received with laughter 
and applause. Others were of a serious, religious character, and 
were equally welcome, and touched responsive hearts. With 
pleasure I noticed that in them all the most frequent word was 
" Na-nas-koomoo-win-ah," which means " Thanksgiving," and for 
this my heart rejoiced. Thus ended, with the Doxology and 
Benediction, these happy days, in which we saw so many evidences 
that the preaching of the Gospel had not been in vain. 



^m^L38Bfci/teSto® 




CHAPTER YII. 



OXFORD HOUSE MISSION— VISITED BY CANOE— DESCRIPTION OP THIS 
USEFUL CRAFT— INDIAN SKILL — OXFORD LAKE— DR. TAYLOR- 
EDWARD PAPANEKIS— STILL ON THE TRAIL BY BIRCH CANOE- 
NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING CRUSHED BY THE ICE— ON STORMY 
LAKE WINNIPEG — PIONEERING FARTHER NORTH — SUCCESSES— 
♦♦ SHOW US THE FATHER, AND IT SUFFICETH US "—CHRIST ACCEPTED 
IN THE PLACE OF IDOLS. 

I HAD received instructions from the Missionary Secretaries to 
visit Oxford Mission as soon as possible, and to do all I could 
for its upbuilding. This Mission had had a good measure of 
success in years gone by. A church and Mission house had been 
built at Jackson's Bay, and many of the Indians had been con- 
verted. But the village was too far from the Hudson's Bay 
Company's Post, where the Indians traded, and where naturally 
they gathered. For several years the work had been left in 
charge of a native teacher. The people regretted the absence 
of an ordained Missionary, and the place suffered accordingly. 
Making all the arrangements I could for the successful prosecution 
of the work in my absence, I left Norway House in a small canoe, 
manned by two of my Christian Indians, one of whom was my 
interpreter. With this wonderful little boat I was now to make 
my first intimate acquaintance. For this wild land of broad 
lakes and rapid rivers and winding creeks, the birch -bark canoe 
is the boat of all others most admirably fitted. It is to the 
Indian denizen here what the horse is to his more warlike red 
brother on the great prairies, or what the camel is to those who 
live and wander amidst Arabian deserts. The canoe is absolutely 
essential to these natives in this land, where there are no other 



72 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

roads than the intricate devious water routes. It is the frailest 
of all boats, yet it can be loaded down to the water's edge, and, 
under the skilful guidance of these Indians, who are unquestion- 
ably the finest canoe men in the world, it can be made to respond 
to the sweep of their paddles, so that it seems almost instinct 
with life and reason. What they can do in it, and with it, 
appeared to me at times perfectly marvellous. Yet when we 
remember that for about five months of every year some of the 
hunters almost live in it, this may not seem so very wonderful. 
It carries them by day, and in it, or under it, they often sleep 
by night. At the many portages which have to be made in this 
land, where the rivers are so full of falls and rapids, one man 
can easily carry it on his head to the smooth water beyond. In 
it we have travelled thousands of miles, while going from place 
to place with the blessed tidings of salvation to these wandering 
bands scattered over my immense Circuit. Down the wild rapids 
we have rushed for miles together, and then out into great 
Winnipeg, or other lakes, so far from shore that the distant 
headlands were scarce visible. Foam-crested waves have often 
seemed as though about to overwhelm us, and treacherous gales 
to swamp us, yet my faithful, well-trained canoe men were 
always equal to every emergency, and by the accuracy of theii" 
judgment, and the quickness of their movements, appeared ever 
to do exactly the right thing at the right moment. As the result, 
I came at length to feel as much at home in a canoe as any- 
where else, and with God's blessing was permitted to make many 
long trips to those who could not be reached in any other way, 
except by dog-trains in winter. 

Good canoe-makers are not many, and so really good canoes 
are always in demand. 

Frail and light as this Indian craft may be, there is a great 
deal of skill and ingenuity required in its construction. 

Great care is requisite in taking the bark from the tree. A 
long incision is first made longitudinally in the trunk of the tree. 
Then, from this cut, the Indian begins, and with his keen knife 
gradually peels off the whole of the bark, as high up as his 
incision went, in one large piece or sheet. And even now that 




TAKING THE BARK FROM THE TREES FOR CANOE-MAKING. 



74 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

he has safely got it off the tree, the greatest care is necessary in 
handling it, as it will split or crack very easily. Cedar is pre- 1 
ferred for the woodwork, and when it can possibly be obtained, 
is always used. But in the section of the country where I lived, 
as we were north of the cedar limit, the canoe-makers used pieces 
of the spruce tree, split very thin, as the best substitute for 
cedar that our country afibrded. 

All the sewing of the pieces of birch bark together, and the 
fastening of the whole to the outer frame, is done with the long 
slender roots of the balsam or larch trees, which are soaked and 
rubbed until they are as flexible as narrow strips of leather. 
When all the sewing is done, the many narrow limber pieces 
of spruce are crowded into their places, giving the whole canoe 
its requisite proportions and strength. Then the seams and weak 
spots are well covered over with melted pitch, which the Indians 
obtain from the spruce and balsam trees. 

Great care is taken to make the canoe v/atertight. To accom- 
plish this, the boat is often swung between trees and filled with 
water. Every place where the slightest leak is discovered is 
marked, and, when the canoe is emptied, is carefully attended to. 

Canoes vary in style and size. Each tribe using them has its 
own patterns, and it was to me an ever interesting sight, to 
observe how admirably suited to the character of the lakes and 
rivers were the canoes of each tribe or district. 

The finest and largest canoes were those formerly made by the 
Lake Superior Indians. Living on the shores of that great inland 
sea, they required canoes of great size and strength. These 
" great north canoes," as they were called, could easily carry from 
a dozen to a score of paddlers, vrith a cargo of a couple of tons 
of goods. In the old days of the rival fur-traders, these great 
canoes played a very prominent part. Before steam or even 
large sailing vessels had penetrated into those northern lakes, 
these canoes were extensively used. Loaded with the rich furs 
of those wild forests, they used to come down into the Ottawa, 
and thence on down that great stream, often even as far as to 
Montreal. 

Sir George Simpson, the energetic but despotic and unprincipled 



CANOES AND CANOE-MAKERS. 75 

governor of the Hudson's Bay Company for many years, used to 
travel in one of these birch canoes all the way from Montreal up 
the Ottawa on through Lake Nipissing into Georgian Bay ; from 
thence into Lake Superior, on to Thunder Bay. From this place, 
with indomitable pluck, he pushed on back into the interior, 
through the Lake of the Woods, down the tortuous river Winni- 
peg into the lake of the same name. Along the whole length of 
this lake he annually travelled, in spite of its treacherous storms 
and annoying head winds, to preside over the Council and attend 
to the business of the wealthiest fur-trading company that ever 
existed, over which he watched with eagle eye, and in every 
department of which his distinct personality was felt. His 
famous Iroquois crew are still talked about, and marvellous are 
the stories in circulation about many a northern camp fire of 
their endurance and skill. 

How rapid the changes which are taking place in this world of 
ours ! It seems almost incredible, in these days of mighty steam- 
ships going almost everywhere on our great waters, to think that 
there are hundreds of people still living who distinctly remember 
when the annual trips of a great governor were made from 
Montreal to Winnipeg in a birch-bark canoe, manned by Indians 

Of this light Indian craft Longfellow wrote : — 

'' Give me of your bark, Birch tree I 
Of your yellow bark, Birch tree I 
Growing by the rushing river, 
Tall and stately in the valley 1 
I a light canoe will build me, 
Duild a swift canoe for sailing. 



'* Thus the Birch canoe was builded 
In the valley, by the river, 
In the bosom of the forest ; 
All its mystery and its magic. 
All the brightness of the birch tree, 
All the toughness of the cedar, 
All the larch tree's supple sinews ; 
And it floated on the river 
Like a yellow le^f in autumn, 
Like a yellow water-lily." 



76 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

We left for Oxford Mission on the 8th of September. The 
distance is over two hundred miles, through the wildest country 
imaginable. We did not see a house — with the exception of 
those built by the beavers — from the time we left our Mission 
home until we reached our destination. We paddled through 
a bewildering variety of picturesque lakes, rivers, and creeks. 
When no storms or fierce head- winds impeded us, we were able to 
make fifty or sixty miles a day. When night overtook us, we 
camped on the shore. Sometimes it was very pleasant and 
romantic. At other times, when storms raged and we were 
drenched with the rain so tlioroughly that for days we had not 
a dry stitch upon us, it was not quite so agreeable. 

We generally began our day's journey very early in the 
morning, if the weather was at all favourable, and paddled on 
as rapidly as possible, since we knew not when head-winds might 
arise and stop our progress. The Oxford route is a very diversi- 
fied one. There are lakes, large and small, across which we had 
to paddle. In some of them, when the wind was favourable, our 
Indians improvised a sail out of one of our blankets. Lashing 
it to a couple of oars, they lifted it up in the favouring wind, 
and thus very rapidly did we speed on our way. 

At times we were in broad beautiful rivers, and then paddling 
along iu little narrow creeks amidst the reeds and rushes. We 
passed over, or, as they say in that country, "made" nine 
portages around picturesque falls or rapids. In these portages 
one of the Indians carried the canoe on his head. The other 
made a great load of the bedding and provisions, all of which he 
carried on his back. My load consisted of the two guns, ammuni- 
tion, two kettles, the bag containing my changes of raiment, and 
a package of books for the Indians we were to visit. How the 
Indians could run so quickly through the portages was to me a 
marvel. Often the path was but a narrow ledge of rock against 
the side of the great granite cliff. At other times it was through 
the quaking bog or treacherous muskeg. To them it seemed to 
make no difference. On they went with their heavy loads at that 
swinging Indian stride which soon left me far behind. On some 
of my canoe trips the portages were several miles long, and 



TRIP TO OXFORD LAKE. 77 

through regions so wild that there was nothing to indicate to 
me the right direction. When we were making them, I used 
to follow on as long as I knew I was in the right way. When 
I lost the trail, I at once stopped and patiently waited until one 
of my faithful men, having carried his load safely to the end, 
would come back for me. Quickly picking up my load, he would 
hurry off, and even then, unencumbered as I was, it was often 
as much as I could do to keep up with him. 

Oxford Lake is one of the most beautiful and picturesque lakes 
I ever saw. It is between twenty and thirty miles long and 
several miles wide. It is studded with islands of every imagin- 
able variety. Its waters are almost as transparent as the clear, 
fresh air above it. When no breath ripples its surface, one can 
look down into its crystal depths and see, many feet below, the 
great fish quietly moving about. 

To visit the Indians who fish in its waters, and hunt upon 
its shores, I once brought one of our Missionary Secretaries, the 
eloquent Rev. Lachlin Taylor, D.D. The trip down had not 
been one of the most pleasant. The rains had drenched him, 
and the mosquitoes had plagued him with such persistency, that 
he loudly bemoaned his lot in being found in a country that was 
cursed with such abominable animals. 

One night I heard him muttering between his efforts to get 
them out of his tent, where he declared they were attacking 
him in battalions : — 

** They throng the air, and darken heaven, 
And curse this Western land." 

However, when we reached Oxford Lake, the mosquitoes left 
us for a time. The sun came out in splendour, and we had some 
days of rarest beauty. The good doctor regained his spirits, and 
laughed when I rallied him on some of his strong expressions 
about the country, and told him that I hoped, as the result of 
his experience, he, as all Missionary Secretaries ought, would have 
a good deal of sympathy for the Missionaries who live in such 
regions for years together. 

We camped for the night on one of the most picturesque points. 

7 



78 BY CANOE AND BOG-TBAIN. 

We had two canoes, and to man them four Indians from oui 
Norway House Mission. As the doctor was an enthusiastic 
fisherman, he decided that we must stop there during the forenoon, 
while he tried his hand. His first haul was a splendid pike over 
two feet long. Great was his excitement as his success was 
assured. Eloquence poured from him ; we were flooded with it. 
The Indians looked on in amazement while he talked of the 
beauties of the lake and islands, of the water and the sky. 

"Wait a moment, doctor," I said. "I can add to the wild 
beauty of the place something that will please your artistic eye." 

I requested two fine-looking Indians to launch one of the 
canoes, and to quietly paddle out to the edge of an island which 
abruptly rose from the deep, clear waters before us, the top of 
which had on it a number of splendid spruce and balsams, massed 
together in natural beauty. I directed the men to drop over the 
side of the canoe a long fishing line, and then, posing them in 
striking attitudes in harmony with the place, I asked them to 
keep perfectly still until every ripple made by their canoe had 
died away. 

I confess I was entranced by the loveliness of the sight. The 
reflections of the canoe and men, and of the islands and rocks, 
were as vivid as the actual realities. So clear and transparent 
was the water, that where it and the air met there seemed but a 
narrow thread between the two elements. Not a breath of air 
stirred, not a ripple moved. It was one of those sights which 
come to us but seldom in a lifetime, where everything is in 
perfect unison, and God gives us glimpses of what this world, His 
footstool, must have been before sin entered. 

" Doctor," I said quietly, for my heart was full of the Doxology, 
*' tell me what you think of that vision." 

Standing up, with a great rock beneath his feet, in a voice of 
suppressed emotion he began. Quietly at first he spoke, but soon 
he was carried away with his cwn eloquence : — 

" I know well the lochs oi my own beloved Scotland, for in 
many of them I have rowed and fished. I have visited all the 
famed lakes of Ireland, and have rowed on those in the Lake 
counties of England. I b^^ve travelled far and oft on our great 



80 3Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

American lakes, and have seen Tahoe, in all its crystal beauty. 
-I have rowed on the Bosphorus, and travelled in a felucca on 
t^he Nile. I have lingered in the gondola on the canals of Venice, 
^nd have traced Rob Roy's canoe in the Sea of Galilee, and on 
tihe old historic Jordan. I have seen, in my wanderings in many 
landsj peaces of rarest beauty, but the equal of this mine eyes 
have never gazed upon." 

Never after did I see the lake as we saw it that day. 

On it we have had to battle against fierce storms, where the 
angry waves seemed determined to engulf us. Once, in speeding 
along as well as we could from island to island, keeping in the 
lee as much as possible, we ran upon a sharp rock and stove a 
hole in our canoe. We had to use our paddles desperately to 
reach the shore, and when we had done so, we found our canoe 
half-full of water, in which our bedding and food were soaked 
We hurriedly built a fire, melted some pitch, and mended our 
canoe, and hurried on. 

On this lake, which can give us such pictures of wondrous 
beauty, I have encountered some of the greatest gales and 
tempests against which I have ever had to contend, even in this 
land of storms and blizzards. Then in winter, upon its frozen 
surface it used to seem to me that the Frost King: held high 
carnival. Terrible were the sufferings of both dogs and men on 
some of those trips. One winter, in spite of all the wraps I could 
put around me, making it possible for me to run — for riding was 
out of the question, so intense was the cold — every part of my 
face exposed to the pitiless blast was frozen. My nose, cheeks, 
eyebrows, and even lips, were badly frozen, and for days after I 
suffered. Cuffy, the best of my Newfoundland dogs, had all of 
her feet frozen, and even Jack's were sore for many a day after. 
My loyal Indians suffered also, and we all declared Oxford Lake 
to be a cold place in winter, and its storms worse than the 
summer mosquitoes. 

The Indians of Oxford Lake were among the finest in all the 
great North- West. It was ever a joy to meet them as I used to 
do once in summer by canoe trip, and then again in winter by 
dog-train. God blessed my visits to them. The old members were 



DANGERS FROM MOVING ICE-FIELDS. 81 

cheered and comforted as the Gospel was preached to them, and 
the Sacraments administered. Some pagans were induced to 
renounce their old lives, and the cause of religion was more and 
more established. The Rev. Mr. Brooking, and, later, the studious 
and devoted Rev. Orrin German, did blessed service in that lonely- 
Mission. At the present time the Rev. Edward Papanekis is the 
acceptable Missionary there. 

Long years ago I found Edward a careless, sinful young man. 
Once he rushed into the Mission house under the influence of 
liquor, and threatened to strike me. But the blessed truth 
reached his heart, and it was my joy to see him a humble sup- 
pliant at the Cross. His heart's desire was realised. God has 
blessedly led him on, and now he is faithfully preaching that 
same blessed Gospel to his countrymen at Oxford Mission. 

In responding to the many Macedonian cries my Circuit kept so 
enlarging that I had to be " in journeyings often." My canoes 
were sometimes launched in spring, ere the great floating ice-fields 
had disappeared, and through tortuous open channels we caref idly 
paddled our way, often exposed to great danger. 

On one of these early trips we came to a place where for many 
miles the moving ice fields stretched out before us. One narrow 
channel of open water only was before us. Anxious to get on, 
we dashed into it, and rapidly paddled ourselves along. I had two 
experienced Indians, and so had no fear, but expected some novel 
adventures — and had them with interest. 

Our hopes were that the wind would widen the channel, and 
thus let us into open water. But, to our disappointment, when 
we had got along a mile or so in this narrow open space, we found 
the ice was quietly but surely closing in upon us. As it was from 
four to six feet thick, and of vast extent, there was power enough 
in it to crush a good-sized ship ; so it seemed that our frail birch- 
bark canoe would have but a poor chance. 

I saw there was a reasonable possibility that when the crash 
came we could spring on to the floating ice. But what should we 
do then 1 was the question, with canoe destroyed and us on floating 
ice far from land. 

However, as my Indians kept perfectly cool, I said nothing, but 



82 JBY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

paddled away and watched for the development of events. Nearer 
and nearer came the ice; soon our channel was not fifty feet 
wide. Already behind us the floes had met, and we could hear the 
ice grinding and breaking as the enormous masses met in opposite 
directions. Now it was only about twenty feet from side to side. 
Still the men paddled on, and I kept paddling in unison with 
them. When the ice was so close that we could easily touch it on 
either side with our paddles, one of the Indians quietly said, 
"Missionary, will you please give me your paddle?" I quickly 
handed it to him, when he immediately thrust it with his own 
into the water, holding down the ends of them so low horizontally 
under the canoe that the blade end was out of water on the 
other side of the boat. The other Indian held his paddle in 
the same position, although from the other side of the canoe. 
Almost immediately after the ice crowded in upon us. But as 
the points of the paddles were higher than the ice, of course they 
rested upon it for an instant. This was what my cool-headed, 
clever men wanted. They had a fulcrum for their paddles, and 
so they pulled carefully on the handle ends of them, and, the 
canoe sliding up as the ice closed in and met with a crash under 
us, we found ourselves seated in it on the top of the ice. The 
craft, although only a frail birch-bark canoe, was not in the least 
injured. 

As we quickly sprang out -of our canoe, and carried it away 
from where the ice had met and was being ground into pieces by 
the momentum with which it met, I could not but express my 
admiration to my men at the clever feat. 

After some exciting work we reached the shore, and there 
patiently waited until the wind and sun cleared away the ice, 
and we could venture on. My plan was to spend at least a week 
in each Indian village or encampment, preaching three times a 
day, and either holding school with the children, or by personal 
entreaty beseeching men and women to be reconciled to God. 
When returning from the visit, which was a very successful one, 
we had to experience some of the inconveniences of travelling 
in such a frail bark as a birch canoe on such a stormy lake as 
Winnipeg. 



A PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 83 

The weather had been very unsettled, and so we had cautiously 
paddled from point to point. We had dinner at what the Indians 
call Montreal Point, and then started for the long crossing to 
Old Norway House Point, as it was then called. It is a very loner 
open traverse, and as lowering clouds threatened ns we pulled on 
as rapidly as our three paddles could propel us. When out a few 
miles from land the storm broke upon us, the wind rose rapidly, 
and soon we were riding over great white-crested billows. My 
men were very skHful, and we had no fear; but the most skilful 
management was necessary to safely ride the waves, which soon 
in size were rivalling those of the ocean. A canoe is a peculiar 
craft, and requires an experienced hand in these great storms. 

We were getting on all right, and were successfully climbing 
the big waves in quick succession, alert and watchful that no 
sudden erratic move should catch us oflf our guard and overturn 
us. At length we met a wave of unusual height, and succeeded 
in climbing up into its foaming crest all right. Then down its 
side our little craft shot with the apparent velocity of a sled 
down a toboggan slide. When we reached the bottom of this 
trough of the sea, our canoe slapped so violently upon the water 
that the birch bark on the bottom split from side to side. Of 
course the water rushed in upon us with uncomfortable rapidity. 
The more we paddled the worse the water entered, as the exertion 
strained the boat and opened the rent. Quickly folding up a 
blanket, I carefully placed it over the long rent, and kneeled down 
upon it to keep it in place. The man in the front of the canoe 
put down his paddle, and, taking up the kettle, baled as rapidly 
as he could, while the Indian in the stern, and myself in the 
middle, plied our paddles for dear life. We turned towards the 
Spider Islands, which were over a mile away, and by vigorous 
work succeeded in reaching one of them, although our canoe was 
half full of water. Then could we enter into David's words, as 
for hfe we struggled, and our little craft was tossed on the cross 
sea in our efforts to reach a place of safety : " They reel to and 
fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. 
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth 
them out of their distresses." 



84 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

We paddled up as far as we could on a smooth granite rock 
that came out gradually in the water. Then out we sprang, and 
strong hands dragged our little canoe up beyond the reach of 
the waves. We hastily pulled out our dripping blankets and 
soaked food and other things, and then, overturning the canoe, 
emptied it of water; and as we saw the large break in the bottom, 
we realised as we had not before the danger we had been in, and 
the providential escape which had been ours. So, with glad 
hearts, we said, " We do ' praise the Lord for His goodness, and 
for His wonderful works to the children of men.' " 

We quickly built a fire, and melted some pitch, a quantity of 
which is always carried ready for such emergencies. The long 
rent was covered over with a piece of cloth well saturated in the 
boiling pitch, a quantity more was poured over, and the whole 
was carefully smoothed out over the weak place. Soon it cooled 
and hardened, and the work was done. We ate a little food, 
and then launched our frail craft and pushed on. No serious 
accidents again troubled us, and we ended this long canoe trip, 
as we had done many others, thankful that we had such blessed 
opportunities to go to the remote places as heralds of the Cross, 
and doubly thankful when we were safe at home again. 

On one of my canoe trips, when looking after pagan bands in 
the remote Nelson E-iver District, I had some singular experiences, 
and learned some important lessons about the craving of the 
pagan heart after God. 

We had been journeying on for ten or twelve days when one 
night we camped on the shore of a lake-like river. While my 
men were busily employed in gathering wood and cooking the 
supper, I wandered off and ascended to the top of a well wooded 
hill which I saw in the distance. Yery great indeed was my 
surprise, when I reached the top, to find myself in the presence 
of the most startling evidences of a degraded paganism. 

The hill had once been densely covered with trees, but about 
every third one had been cut down, and the stumps, which had 
been left from four to ten feet high, had been carved into rude 
representations of the human form. Scattered around were the 



A PLACE OF IDOLS AND DOG- OVENS. 85 

dog-ovens, which were nothing but holes dug in the ground and 
lined with stones, in which at certain seasons, as part of their 
religious ceremonies, some of their favourite dogs — white ones 
were always preferred — were roasted, and then devoured by the 
excited crowd. Here and there were the tents of the old con- 
jurers and medicine men, who, combining some knowledge of 
disease and medicine with a great deal of superstitious abomina- 
tions, held despotic sway over the people. The power of these 
old conjurers over the deluded Indians was very great. They 
were generally lazy old fellows, but succeeded nevertheless in 
getting the best that was going, as they held other Indians in 
such terror of their power, that gifts in the shape of fish and 
game were constantly flowing in upon them. They have the 
secret art among themselves of concocting some poisons so deadly 
that a little put in the food of a person who has excited their 
displeasure will cause death almost as soon as a dose of strychnine. 
They have other poisons which, while not immediately causing 
death to the unfortunate victims, yet so affect and disfigure them 
that, until death releases them, their sufferings are intense and 
their appearance frightful. 

Here on this hill top were all these sad evidences of the de- 
graded condition of the people. I wandered around and examined 
the idols, most of which had in front of them, and in some 
instances on their flat heads, ofierings of tobacco, food, red cotton, 
and other things. My heart was sad at these evidences of such 
degrading idolatry, and I was deeply impressed with my need of 
wisdom and aid from on high, so that when I met the people 
who here worshipped these idols I might so preach Christ and 
Him crucified that they would be constrained to accept Him as 
their all-sufiicient Saviour. 

While there I lingered, and mused, and prayed, the shadows 
of the night fell on me, and I was shrouded in gloom. Then the 
full moon rose up in the East, and as her silvery beams shone 
through the trees and lit up these grotesque idols, the scene 
presented a strange weird appearance. My faithful Indians, be- 
coming alarmed at my long absence — for the country was infested 
by wild animals — were on the search for me, w4ien I returned to 



86 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

the camp fire. We ate our evening meal, sang a hymn, and 
bowed in prayer. Then we wrapped ourselves up in our blankets, 
and lay down on the granite rocks to rest. Although our bed 
was hard and there was no roof above us, we slept sweetly, for 
the day had been one of hard work and strange adventure. 

After paddling about forty miles the next day we reached the 
Indians of that section of the country, and remained several 
weeks among them. With the exception of the old conjurers, 
they all received me very cordially. These old conjurers had the 
same feelings toward me as those who made silver shrines for 
Diana of Ephesus had toward the first preachers of Christianity 
in their city. They trembled for their occupation. They well 
knew that if I succeeded in inducing the people to become Chris- 
tians their occupation would be gone, and they would have to 
settle down to work for their own living, like other people, or 
starve. I visited them as I did the rest of the encampment, but 
they had enmity in their hearts toward me. Of all their efforts 
to injure or destroy me of course I knew not. That their threats 
were many I well understood ; but He Who had said, " Lo, I am 
with you alway," mercifully watched over me and shielded me 
from their evil deeds. My two Indian attendants also watched 
as well as prayed, with a vigilance that seemed untiring. Yery 
pleasant, indeed, are my memories of my faithful Indian com- 
rades on those long journeys. Their loyalty and devotion could 
not be excelled. Everything that they could do for my safety and 
happiness was cheerfully done. 

We held three rehgious services every day, and between these 
services taught the people to read in the Syllabic characters. 
One day, in conversing with an old fine-looking Indian, I said 
to him, " What is your religion ? If you have any clear idea of 
a religion, tell me in what you believe." 

His answer was ; " We believe in a good Spirit and in a bad 
spirit." 

" Why, then," I said, " do you not worship the good Spirit ? 
I came through your sacred grounds, and I saw where you had 
cut down some trees. Part you had used as fuel with which to 
cook your bear or deer meat ; out of the rest you had made an 



INDIAN'S EXPLANATION OF IDOLATRY. 87 

idol, which you worship. How is one part more sacred than the 
other ? Why do you make and worship idols 1 " 

I can never forget his answer, or the impressive and almost 
passionate way in which the old man replied : — 

" Missionary, the Indian's mind is dark, and he cannot grasp 
the unseen. He hears the great Spirit's voice in the thunder 
and storms. He sees the evidences of His existence all ai'ound, but 
neither he nor his fathers have ever seen the great Spirit, or any 
one who has ; and so he does not know what He looks like. But 
man is the highest creature that he knows of, and so he makes his 
idols like a man, and calls it his ' Manito.' We only worship 
them because we do not know what the great Spirit looks like, 
but these we can understand." 

Suddenly there flashed into my mind the request of Philip to 
the Lord Jesus : " Show us the Father, and it sufficeth us ; " and 
the wonderful answer : " Have I been so long time with you, 
and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip ? He that hath seen 
Me hath seen the Father; and how say est thou then. Show us 
the Father r' 

I opened my Indian Bible at that wonderful chapter of 
disinterested love, the fourteenth of John, and preached unto 
them Jesus, in His two natures. Divine and human. While 
emphasising the redemptive work of the Son of God, I referred 
to His various offices and purposes of love and compassion. His 
willingness to meet us and to save us from perplexity and doubt, 
as well as from sin. I spoke about Him as our elder Brother, 
so intimately allied to us, and still retaining His human form 
as He pleads for us at the throne of God. I dwelt upon 
these delightful truths, and showed how Christ's love had so 
brought Him to us, that with the eye of faith we could see 
Him, and in Him all of God for which our hearts craved. 
^'Whom having not seen, we love; in Whom, though now we 
see Him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory." 

For many days I needed no other themes. They listened 
attentively, and the Holy Spirit apphed these truths to their 
hearts and consciences so effectively that they gladly received 



88 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

them. A few more visits effectually settled them in the truth. 
They have cut down their idols, filled up the dog-ovens, torn away 
the conjurers' tents, cleared the forest, and banished every vestige 
of the old life. And there, at what is called " the Meeting of 
the Three Kivers," on that very spot where idols were worshipped 
amidst horrid orgies, and where the yells, rattles, and drums of 
the old conjurers and medicine men were heard continuously for 
days and nights, there is now a little church, where these same 
Indians, transformed by the glorious Gospel of the Son of God, are 
" clothed and in their right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus." 

My visits to Nelson Kiver so impressed me with the fact of the 
necessity of some zealous missionary going down there and living 
among the people, that, in response to appeals made, the Rev. 
John Semmens, whose heart God had filled with missionary zeal, 
and who had come out to assist me at Norway House, nobly 
resolved to undertake the work. He was admirably fitted for 
the arduous and responsible task. But no language of mine can 
describe what he had to sufier. His record is on high. The 
Master has it all, and He will reward. Great were his successes, 
and signal his triumphs. 

At that place, where I found the stumps carved into idols, 
which Brother Semmens has so graphically described, the church, 
mainly through his instrumentality and personal efibrts, has been 
erected. In the last letter which I have received from that land, 
the writer says : ^' The Indians now all profess themselves to be 
Christians. Scores of them by their lives and testimonies assure 
us of the blessed consciousness that the Lord Jesus is indeed their 
own loving Saviour. Every conjuring drum has ceased. All 
vestiges of the old heathenish life are gone, we believe for ever." 

" The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, 
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 

Grandly has this prophecy been fulfilled, and dwarfs into insig- 
nificance all the sufferings and hardships endured in the pioneer 
work which I had in beginning this Mission. With a glad heart 
I rejoice that " unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, 
is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the 
unsearchable riches of Christ." 




CHAPTER VIII. 

THE WILD NOETH LAND— THE TWO METHODS OP TRAVEL, BY CAXOE AND 
DOG-TEAIN— THE NATIVE DOGS— ST. BERNARD AND NEWFOUND- 
LAND DOGS— THE DOG SLEDS — THE GUIDE — THE DOG DRIVERS — 
THE LONG JOURNEYS — NIGHT TRAVELLING— WONDROUS VISIONS OP 
THE NIGHT. 



SO destitute are these wild north lands of roads that there are 
really no distinct words in the languages of these northern 
tribes to represent land vehicles. In translating such words as 
"waggon" or *' chariot" into the Cree language, a word similar 
to that for " dog sled " had to be used. 

No surveyor, up to the years about which I am writing, had 
visited those regions, and there were literally no roads as under- 
stood in civilised lands. 

So numerous are the lakes and rivers that roads are unneces- 
sary to the Indian in the summer time. With his light birch 
canoe he can go almost everywhere he desires. If obstructions 
block up his passage, all he has to do is to put his little canoe on 
his head, and a short run will take him across the portage, or 
around the cataracts or falls, or over the height of land to some 
other lake or stream, where he quickly embarks and continues 
his journey. 

All summer travelling is done along the water routes. Naturally 
the various trading posts and Indian villages or encampments are 
located on the edges of the lakes or rivers, or very near them, so 
as to be most conveniently reached in this way. So short are 
the summers that there are only about five months of open water 
to be depended upon in thes-e high latitudes. During the other 



90 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

seven months the dog sled is the only conveyance for purposes 
of travelling. So rough and wild is the country that we know 
of no vehicle that could take its place, and no animals that could 
do the work of the dogs. 

As the years of toil rolled on, my Mission field or Circuit so 
enlarged that it extended irregularly north and south over five 
hundred miles, with a width in some places of over three hundred. 
In summer I travelled over it in a birch canoe, and in winter 
with my dog-trains. 

At first it seemed very novel, and almost like child's play, to 
be dragged along by dogs, and there was almost a feeling of 
rebellion against what seemed such frivolous work. But we soon 
found out that we had travelled in worse conveyances and with 
poorer steeds than in a good dog sled, when whirled along by a 
train of first-class dogs. 

The dogs generally used are of the Esquimaux breed, although 
in many places they have become so mixed up with other varieties 
as to be almost unrecognisable. The pure Esquimaux sled dogs 
are well-built, compact animals, weighing from eighty to a hun- 
dred and twenty pounds. They are of various colours, and have 
a close, warm, furry coat of hair. They have sharp-pointed ears 
and very bushy, curly tails. They are the most notorious thieves. 
I never could completely break an Esquimaux dog of this pro- 
pensity. It seemed ingrained in their very natures. I have 
purchased young puppies of this breed from the natives, have 
fed them well, and have faithfully endeavoured to bring them 
up in the way in which they ought to go, but I never could get 
them to stay there. Steal they would, and did, whenever they 
had an opportunity. 

This serious defect may have been the result of the constant 
and unremitting neglect with which Indians generally treat their 
dogs. They are fond of them in a way, and are unwilling to 
part with them, except at a good price ; yet, except when working 
them, they very seldom feed them. The dogs are generally left 
to steal their living, and some of them become very clever at it, 
as more than once I found to my sorrow. When the fisheries are 
successful, or many deer have been killed, the dogs, like their 



92 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

owners, are fat and flourishing. When food is scarce, the dogs* 
allowance is the first cut off. We could always tell at a glance, 
when a band of wild, wandering pagan Indians came in to visit 
our village from their distant hunting grounds, how they had 
prospered. If they and their dogs were fat and good-natured, 
they had had abundance of food. If, w^iile the people looked 
fairly well, the dogs were thin and wolfish, we knew they had 
fared but moderately. If the dogs were all gone and the people 
looked gaunt and famine-stricken, we knew they had had hard 
times, and, as a last resort, had eaten their poor dogs to keep 
themselves alive. 

Some of the Indians who make a pretence to feed their dogs in 
winter never think of doing so in summer. The result is that, 
as they have to steal, hunt, or starve, they become adepts in one 
or the other. Everything that is eatable, and many things 
apparently uneatable, are devoured by them. They fairly howled 
with delight when they found access to such things as old leather 
moccasins, dog harness, whips, fur caps, mitts, and similar things. 
They greedily devoured all they could, and then most cunningly 
buried the rest. Many of them go off in summer-time on long 
fishing excursions. I once, when away on a canoe trip, met a 
pack of them up a great river over a hundred miles from their 
home. When we first saw them at a long distance, we mistook 
them for wolves, and began to prepare for battle. The quick 
eyes of my Indian canoe men soon saw what they were, and 
putting down our guns, we spent a little time in watching them. 
To my great surprise I found out that they were fishing on their 
own account. This was something new to me, and so I watched 
them with much interest. 

On the side of the river on which they were was a shallow, 
reedy marsh, where the water was from a few inches to a foot in 
depth. In these shallow waters, at certain seasons of the year, 
different varieties of fish are to be found. The principal is the 
Jack fish, or pike, some of which are over three feet long. As 
they crowd along in these shallows, often with their back fins out 
of the water, they are observed by the dogs, who quietly wade 
out, often to a distance of many yards, and seize them with such 



THIEVISH ESQUIMAUX DOGS. 93 

a grip that, in spite of their struggles, they are carried in 
triumph to the shore, and there speedily devoured. Sometimes 
the dogs will remain away for weeks together on these fishing 
excursions, and will return in much better condition than when 
they left. 

During the winter of the first Kiel Rebellion, when all our 
supplies had been cut off", my good wife and I got tired of dining 
twenty-one times a week on fish diet, varied only by a pot of 
boiled musk rats, or a roast hind-quarter of a wild cat. To 
improve our bill of fare, the next summer, when I went into 
the Red River Settlement, I bought a sheep, which I carefully 
took out with me in a little open boat. I succeeded in getting it 
safely home, and put it in a yard that had a heavy stockade fence 
twelve feet high around it. In some way the dogs got in and 
devoured my sheep. 

The next summer, I took out a couple of pigs, and put them 
into a little log stable with a two-inch spruce plank door. To my 
great disgust, one night the dogs ate a hole through the door and 
devoured my pigs. 

There seemed to be a good deal of the wolf in their nature. 
Many of them never manifested much afiection for their masters, 
and never could be fully depended upon. Still I always found 
that even with Esquimaux dogs patience and kindness went 
farther than anything else in teaching them to know what was 
required of them, and in inducing them to accept the situation. 
Some of them are naturally lazy, and some of them are incorri- 
gible shii'ks ; and so there is in dog-driving a capital opportunity 
for the exercise of the cardinal virtue of patience. 

As my Mission increased in size, and new appointments were 
taken up, I found I should have to be on the move nearly all the 
winter if those who longed for the Word of Life were to be 
visited. Do the best I could, there were some bands so remote 
that I could only visit them twice a year. In summer I went by 
canoe, and in winter by dog-train. After a few wretched experi- 
ences with native dogs, where I sufi'ered most intensely, as much 
on account of their inferior powers as anything else, I began to 
think of the many splendid St. Bernard and Newfoundland dogs 
8 



94 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

I had seen in civilised lands, doing nothing in return for the care 
and affection lavished upon them. These thoughts, which came 
to me while far from home, were promptly followed by action as 
soon as that terrible trip was ended, in which every part of my 
face exposed to the intense cold had been frozen, even to my 
eyebrows and lips. 

Missionary Secretaries were amused at the requisition for dogs, 
and had their laugh at what they called ^'my unique request," 
and wrote me to that effect. Thanks, however, to the kindness 
of such men as the Hon. Mr. Sanford, of Hamilton, the Hon. 
Mr. Ferrier, of Montreal, and other friends, I had in my posses- 
sion some splendid dogs before the next season opened, and then 
the work went on with increasing interest and satisfaction. 
With splendid, well-trained dogs, I could so shorten the time of 
the three hundred miles' trip, that, instead of shivering seven or 
eight nights in a hole dug in the snow, we could reduce the number 
to four or five. 

Those who have experienced the sufferings and hardships of 
camping out in the forest with the temperature ranging from 
thirty to sixty degrees below zero, will agree that to escape two 
or three nights of it meant a good deal. 

I found by years of experience that the St. Bernard and New- 
foundland dogs had all the good qualities, and none of the defects, 
of the Esquimaux. By kindness and firmness they were easily 
broken in, and then a whip was only an ornamental appendage 
of the driver's picturesque costume. Of these splendid dogs I 
often had in my possession, counting old and young, as many as 
twenty at a time. The largest and best of them all was Jack, a 
noble St. Bernard. He was black as jet, and stood over thirty- 
three inches high at his fore shoulder. When in good working 
trim, he weighed about a hundred and sixty pounds. He had no 
equal in all that northern land. Several times he saved my life, 
as we shall see further on. No whip ever rufiled his glossy coat ; 
no danger ever deterred him from his work, when he with his 
marvellous intelligence once got to know what was expected of 
him. No blizzard storm, no matter how fickle and changeful, 
could lead him off from the desiied camping place, even if the 



DISTANCES TRAVELLED WITH DOG-TRAINS. 95 

courage of other dogs failed them, and even though the guides 
gave up in despair. 

The distance we could travel with dogs depended of course very 
much on the character of the trail or route. On the frozen 
surface of Lake Winnipeg, when no blinding gales opposed us, 
and our dogs were good and loads not too heavy, we have made 
from seventy to ninety miles a day. One winter I accomplished 
the journey from Fort Garry to Norway House in five days and 
a half — a distance of nearly four hundred miles. When we 
were toiling along in the dense forests, where the snow lay deep 
and the obstructions were many, and the country was broken 
with hills and ravines, we often did not make more than a 
third of that distance, and then suffered much more than when 
we Lad made much greater journeys under more favourable 
auspices. 

The dog sleds are made of two oak or birch boards, about 
twelve feet long, eight or nine inches wide, and from half an 
inch to an inch thick. These two boards are fastened securely 
together, edge to edge, by crossbars. Then one of the ends is 
planed down thin, and so thoroughly steamed or soaked in hot 
water that it can easily be bent or curved up to form what is 
called the head of the sled. It is then planed smooth, and fitted 
out with side loops. The front ones are those to which the traces 
of the dogs are attached, and the others along the sides are used 
to fasten the load securely. When finished, allowing two or 
three feet for the curled-up head, a good dog sled is nine or ten 
feet long, and from sixteen to eighteen inches wide. 

Sometimes they are fitted with parchment sides and a comfort- 
able back. Then they are called carioles. When the dogs were 
strong enough, or the trail was a well beaten one, or we were 
travelling on the great frozen lakes, I was able to ride the 
greater part of the time. Then it was not unpleasant or toil- 
some work. But as many of my winter trails led me through 
the primeval forests, where the snow was often very deep, and 
the hills were steep, and the fallen trees many, and the standing 
ones thickly clustered together, on such journeys there was bub 
little riding. One had to strap on his snow shoes, and help his 



96 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

faithful Indians to tramp down the deep snow in the trail, that 
the poor dogs might drag the heavily loaded sleds along. 

Four dogs constitute a train. They are harnessed in tandem style, 
as all this vast country north of the fertile prairies is a region 
of forests. The Esquimaux style of giving each dog a separate 
"trace, thus letting them spread out in a fan-like form, would 
Miever do in this land of trees and dense under-brush. 

Tlie harness, which is made of moose skin, is often decorated 
^ith ribbons and little musical bells. Singular as it may appear, 
the dogs were very fond of the bells, and always seemed to travel 
better and be in greater spirits when they could dash along in 
unison with their tinkling. Some dogs could not be more 
severely punished than by taking the bells off their harness. 

The head dog of the train is called " the leader." Upon him 
depends a great deal of the comfort and success, and at times 
the safety, of the whole party. A really good leader is a very 
valuable animal. Some of them are so intelligent that they do 
not require a guide to run ahead of them, except in the most 
dense and unbeaten forest trails. I had a long-legged white dog, 
of mixed breed, that ever seemed to consider a guide a nuisance, 
when once he had got into his big head an idea of what I wanted 
him to do. Outside of his harness Old Yoyager, as we called him, 
was a morose, sullen, unsociable brute. So hard to approach 
was he that generally a rope about sixty feet long, with one 
end fastened around his neck, trailed out behind him. When 
we wanted to catch him, we generally had to start off in the 
opposite direction from him, for he was as cunning as a fox, and 
ever objected to being caught. In zigzag ways we moved about 
until he was thrown off his guard, and then by-and-by it was 
possible to come near enough to get hold of the long rope and 
haul him in. When once the collar was on his neck, and he 
had taken his place at the head of the party, he was the un- 
rivalled leader. No matter how many trains might happen to 
be travelling together, no one thought of taking first place while 
Old Voyager was at hand. 

Lake Winnipeg is very much indented with deep, wide bays. 
The headlands are from five to thirty miles apart. When dog- 



SAGACIOUS DO OS. 97 

travelling on that great lake in winter, the general plan is to 
travel from headland to headland. When leaving one where 
perhaps we had slept or dined, all we had to do was to turn Old 
Voyager's head in the right direction, and show him the distant 
point to which we wished to go ; and although it might be many- 
miles away, a surveyor's line could not be much straighter than 
the trail our sleds would make under his unerring guidance. 

I have gone into these details about this mode of travelling, 
because there is so little known about it in the outside world. 
Doubtless it will soon become a thing of the past, as the Indians 
are settling down in their Keservations, and, each tribe or band 
having a resident Missionary, these long, toilsome journeys will 
not be essential. 

The companions of my long trips were the far-famed Indian 
runners of the north. The principal one of our party was 
called " the guide." To him was committed the responsibility of 
leading us by the quickest and safest route to the band of Indians 
we wished to visit with the good news of a Saviour's love. His 
place was in front of the dogs, unless the way happened to lead 
us for a time over frozen lakes or well-beaten trails, where the dogs 
were able to go on alone, cheered by the voice of their drivers 
behind. When the trail was of this description, the guide 
generally strode along in company with one of the drivers. 

As the greater part of my work was in the wild forest regions, 
there were many trips when the guide was always at the front. 
Marvellously gifted were some of these men. The reader must 
bear in mind the fact that there were no roads or vestiges of a 
path. Often the whole distance we wished to go was through 
the dense unbroken forest. The snow, some winters, was from 
two to four feet deep. Often the trees were clustered so closely 
together that it was at times difficult to find them standing far 
enough apart to get our sleds, narrow as they were, between 
them. In many places the under-brush was so dense that it 
was laborious work to force our way through it. Yet the guide 
on his large snowshoes was expected to push on through all 
obstructions, and open the way where it was possible for the dog- 
sleds to follow. His chief work was to mark out the trail, along 



98 J5T CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

wbich the rest of us travelled as rapidly as our loaded sleds, or 
wearied limbs, and often bleeding feet, would allow. 

Wonderfully clever and active were these guides in this difficult 
and trying work. To them it made but little difference whether 
the sun shone brightly, or clouds obscured the sky. On and on 
they pushed without hesitancy or delay. There were times when 
the sun's rays were reflected with such splendour from the snowy 
wastes, that our eyes became so affected by the glare, that it was 
impossible to travel by sunlight. The black eyes of the Indians 
seemed very susceptible to this disease, which they call "snow 
blindness." It is very painful, as I know by sad experience. 
The sensation is like that of having red-hot sand thrown on the 
eyeballs. Often my faithful dog-drivers used to suffer so from it 
that, stoical as they naturally are, I have known them to groan 
and almost cry out like children in the camp. 

Once, in travelling near Oxford Lake, we came across a couple 
of Indians who were stone-blind from this disease. Fortunately 
they had been able to reach the woods and make a camp and get 
some food ready ere total blindness came upon them. We went 
out of our course to guide them to their friends. 

To guard against the attack of this disease, which seldom 
occurs except in the months of March and April, when the 
increasing brightness of the sun, in those lengthening days, makes 
its rays so powerful, we often travelled only during the night- 
time, and rested in the sheltered camps during the hours of sun- 
thine. On some of our long trips we have travelled eight nights 
continuously in this way. W^e generally left our camp about sun- 
down. At midnight we groped about as well as we could, aided 
by the light of the stars or the brilliant auroras, and found some 
dry wood and birch bark, with which we made a fire and cooked 
a midnight dinner. Then on we went until the morning light 
came. Then a regular camp was prepared, and breakfast cooked 
and eaten, and the dogs were fed, instead of at night. Prayers 
said, and ourselves wrapped up in our blankets and robes, we 
slept until the hours of brilliant sunshine were over, when on we 
went. 

It always seemed to me that the work of the guide would be 



FAITHFUL DOG-DRIVERS. 99 

much more difficult at night than during the daytime. They, 
hoAvever, did not think so. With unerring accuracy they pushed 
on. It made no matter to them whether the stars shone out in 
all the beauty and brilliancy of the Arctic sky, or whether clouds 
arose and obscured them all. On the guide pushed through 
tangled underwood or dense gloomy forest, where there were not 
to be seen, for days, or rather nights, together, any other tracks 
than those made by the wild beasts of the forest. 

Sometimes the wondrous auroras blazed out, flashing and scin- 
tillating with a splendour indescribable. At times the whole 
heavens seemed aglow with their fickle, inconstant beauty, and 
then various portions of the sky were illumined in succession by 
their ever-changing bars, or columns of coloured light. Man's 
mightiest pyrotechnic displays dwarfed into insignificance in the 
presence of these celestial visions. For hours at a time have I 
been entranced amidst their glories. So bewildering were they 
at times to me that I have lost all ideas of location, and knew 
not which was north or south. 

But to the experienced guide, although, like many of the 
Indians, he had a keen appreciation of the beauties of nature, so 
intent was he on his duties that these changing auroras made no 
difference, and caused him no bewilderment in his work. This, 
to me, was often a matter of surprise. They are very susceptible 
in their natures, and their souls are full of poetry, as many of 
their expressive and beautiful n^mes indicate. To them, in their 
pagan state, those scintillating bars of coloured light were the 
spirits of their forefathers, rank after rank, rushing out to battle. 
Yet, while on our long trips I have had Indians as guides who 
became intensely interested in these wondrous visions of the 
night, I never knew them to lose the trail or become confused 
as to the proper route. 

Yery pleasant are my memoiies of different guides and dog- 
drivers. With very few exceptions they served me loyally and 
well. Most of them were devoted Christian men. With me they 
rejoiced to go on these long journeys to their countrymen who 
were still groping in the darkness, but most of them longing for 
the light. Many of them were capable of giving exhortations or 



100 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

addresses ; and if not able to do this, they could, Paul- like, tell 
the story of their conversion, and how they had found the 
Saviour. 

My heart warms to those faithful men, my companions in 
many a storm, my bed-fellows in many a cold wintry camp. 
Memory brings up many incidents where they risked their lives 
for me, and where, when food was about exhausted, and the pos- 
sibilities of obtaining additional supplies for days were very poor, 
they quietly and unostentatiously put themselves on quarter 
rations, for days together, that their beloved missionary might 
not starve. 

Some of them have finished their course. Up the shining trail, 
following the unerring Guide, they have gone beyond the auroras 
and beyond the stars right to the throne of God. 



T ' 




S^^ '^- 



-<rt5^ -NCncy- -^(^>>» ->Ai 



^f"^- •^P^'^P""^ 



CHAPTEE IX. 



ON" THE TRAIL WITH THE DOGS, TO FIELDS RIPE FOR THE REAPER — 
THE PLACH — THE TRIP — THE WINTER CAMP — THE BITTER COLD 
— ENDURING HARDNESS — DEATH SHAKING HANDS WITH US— MANY 
DAYS ON THE TRAIL. 

IN January, 1869, I started on my first winter trip to Nelson 
River, to visit a band of Indians there, who had never yet 
seen a missionary or heard the glad tidings of salvation. Their 
principal gatherings were at the little trading post on the Burnt- 
wood Kiver. Their hunting grounds extended so very far north 
that they bordered on those of the Esquimaux, with whom, how- 
ever, the Indians have no dealings. Between these two races, the 
Indian and the Esquimaux, there is no affinity whatever. They 
differ very materially in appearance, language, customs, and 
beliefs. Though they will seldom engage in open hostilities, yet 
they are very rarely at peace with each other, and generally 
strive to keep as far apart as possible. 

The weather was bitterly cold, as the temperature ranged from 
thirty-five to fifty-five below zero. Our course was due north all 
the way. The road wo made, for there was none ahead of the 
snow-shoe tracks of our guide, was a rugged, unbroken forest 
path. As the country through which we passed is rich in fur- 
bearing animals, we saw many evidences of their presence, and 
occasionally crossed a hunter's trail. We passed over twenty 
little lakes, averaging from one to thirty miles in diameter. 
Over these our dogs drew us very fast, and we could indulge in 
the luxury of a ride; but in the portages and wood-roads our 
progress was very slow, and generally all of us, with our snow- 



102 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

shoes on, and at times with axes in hand, had to tramp on ahead 
and pack the deep snow down, and occasionally cut out an 
obstructing log, that our dogs might be able to drag our heavily 
laden sleds along. Sometimes the trees were so thickly clustered 
together that it was almost impossible to get our sleds through 
them. At times we were testing our agility by climbing over 
fallen trees, and then on our hands and knees had to crawl 
under reclining ones. Our faces were often bleeding, and our feeb 
oruised. There were times when the strap of my snowshoes so 
frayed and lacerated my feet that the blood soaked through the 
moccasins and webbing of the snowshoes, and occasionally the 
trail was marked with blood. We always travelled in Indian 
file. At the head ran or walked the guide, as the roads would 
permit. On these trips, when I got to understand dog-driving, 
I generally followed next ; and behind me were three other dog- 
trains, each with an Indian driver. 

Sometimes the snow was so deep that the four dog-drivers went 
ahead of the dogs, immediately behind the guide, and, keeping 
in line with him, industriously packed down the snow, that the 
dogs might the more easily drag the heavy sleds along. The 
reason why our loads were so heavy was this. We were not in 
a country where, when night overtook us, we could find some 
hospitable home to welcome us. Neither were we where there 
were hotels or houses in which for money we could secure lodg- 
ings. We were in one of the most desolate and thinly inhabited 
parts of the world, where those who travel long distances see no 
human beings, except the Indian hunters, and these but rarely. 
Hence, in spite of all our efforts to make our loads as light as 
possible, they would be heavy, although we were only carrying 
what was considered absolutely essential. W^e had to take our 
provisions, fish for our dogs, kettles, tin dishes, axes, bedding, 
guns, extra clothing, and various other things, to meet emer- 
gencies that might arise. 

The heaviest item on our sleds was the fish for the dogs. Each 
dog was fed once a day, and then received two good white fishes, 
each weighing from four to six pounds. So that if the daily 
allowance for each dog averaged five pounds, the fish alone on 



TIIE CAMP ly THE SXOW. 



103 



each sled would weigh one hundred and twenty pounds, when we 
becran a trip of a week's duration. Then the bitter cold and the 
vigorous exercise gave both the drivers and the missionary good 
appetites, and so the food provided for them was of no insig- 
nificant weight. 

We generally stopped about half an hour before sundown m 
order to have time, ere darkness enshrouded us, to prepare our 
camp. As we journeyed on we had observed that the guide who 
had been running along in front had been, for the last half hour 
or so, carefully scanning the forest to the right and left. At 
length he stopped, and as we came up to him we said, " Well, 
Tom, what is the matter?" 

His answer is, " Here is a capital place for our camp." 
" Why do vou thmk so % " we ask. 

He replies^! " Do you see those balsams ? They will furnish us 
with a bed, and this cluster of dry, dead small trees will give 
us the wood we need for our fire." So we quickly set to work 
to prepare for our all-night stay in the woods. 

The dogs were soon unharnessed, and seemed thankful to get 
their heads out of their collars. They were never tied up, neither 
did they ever desert us, or take the back track for home. ^ Some 
of the younger ones often organised a rabbit hunt on their own 
responsibility, and had some sport. The older and wiser ones 
looked around for the most cosy and sheltered spots, and there 
began to prepare their resting-places for the night. They would 
carefully scrape away the snow until they came to the ground, 
and there, with teeth and paws, would make the spot as smooth 
and even as possible. They would then curl themselves up, and 
patiently wait until they were called to supper. After unhar- 
nessing our dogs, our next work was with our axes, and there 
was a good sharp one for the Missionary, to cut down some of 
the green balsams and dry dead trees. Then using our snow- 
shoes as shovels, from the place selected for our camp we soon 
scraped away the snow, piling it up as well as we could to the 
right, left, and in rear of where we were to sleep. On the ground 
thus cleared of snow we spread out a layer of the balsam boughs, 
and in front, where the wind would blow the smoke from us, we 



104 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

made up a large fire with the small dry trees which we had cut 
down. 

On this blazing log fire we pat our two kettles, which we had 
filled with snow. When it melted down, we refilled the kettles, 
until enough water was secured. In the large kettle we boiled 
a piece of fat meat, of goodly size, and in the other we made our 
tea. 

On my first trip I carried with me a tin basin, a towel, and a 
cake of soap. At our first camp-fire, when the snow had been 
melted in our kettle, I asked the guide to give me a little of the 
water in my basin. Suspecting the purpose for which I wanted 
it, he said, " What are you going to do with it ? " 

" Wash my face and hands," I replied. 

Yery earnestly he answered, " Please, Missionary, do not do 
so." 

I was longing for a good wash, for I felt like a chimney-sweep. 
We had been travelling for hours through a region of country 
where, in the previous summer, great forest fires had raged, 
leaving many of the trunks of the trees charred and black. 
Against some of them we had often rubbed, and to some of them, 
or their branches, we had had to cling as we went dashing down 
some of the ravines. The result of these weary hours of toil 
amidst charred trunks was very visible, and I rejoiced that an 
opportunity had arrived when I could wash ofi" the sooty stufi". 
Great indeed was my surprise to hear this strong protest on the 
part of my guide against my doing anything of the kind. 

" Why should I not wash ? " I said, holding up my blackened 
hands. 

" You must not let water touch you out in the open air, when 
it is so very cold as it is to-day," was his answer. 

I was very inexperienced then, and not willing to lose my 
wash, which I so much needed; I did not heed the warning. 
Having a blazing fire before me and a good dry towel, I ventured 
to take the wash, and for a minute or two after felt much better. 
Soon, however, there were strange prickling sensations on the tops 
of my hands, and then they began to chap and bleed, and they 
became very sore, and did not get well for weeks. The one 



TOO COLD TO WASH. 105 

experiment of washing in the open air with the temperature in 
the fifties below zero was quite enough. In the following years 
I left the soap at home and only carried the towel. When very 
much in need of a wash, I had to be content with a dry rub with 
the towel. Mrs. Young used to say, when I returned from some 
of these trips, that I looked like old mahogany. The bath was 
then considered a much-needed luxury. 

For our food, when travelling in such cold weather, we pre- 
ferred the fattest meat we.could obtain. From personal experience 
I can endorse the statements of Arctic explorers about the value 
of fat or oil and blubber as articles of food, and the natural 
craving of the system for them. Nothing else seemed to supply 
the same amount of internal heat. As the result of experience, 
we carried the fattest kind of meat. 

As soon as the snow was melted down in the larger of our 
kettles, meat sufficient for our party was soon put on and boiled. 
While it was cooking, we thawed out the frozen fish for our dogs. 
Such is the effect of the frost that they were as hard as stone, and 
it would have been cruel to have given them in that state to the 
noble animals that served us so well. Our plan was to put down 
a small log in front of the fire, so close to it that when the fish 
were placed against it, the intensity of the heat would soon thaw 
them out. The hungry dogs were ever sharp enough to know 
when their supper was being prepared ; and as it was the only 
meal of the day for them, they crowded around us and were 
impatient at times, and had to be restrained. 

Sometimes, in their eagerness and anxiety for their food — for 
it often required a long time for the fire to thaw the fishes suffi- 
ciently for us to bend them — the dogs in crowding one before the 
other would get into a fight, and then there would be trouble. 
Two dogs of the same train very seldom fought with each other. 
Yoke-fellows in toil, they were too wise to try to injure each other 
in needless conflict. So, when a battle began, the dogs quickly 
ranged themselves on the sides of their own comrades, and soon 
it was a conflict of train against train. At first I thought it 
cruel not to feed them more frequently, but I found, as all 
experienced dog-drivers had told me, that one good meal a day 



106 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN 

was the best for them. So great were my sympathies for them 
that sometimes I would give them a good breakfast in the morn- 
ing; but it did not turn out to be of any real benefit. The 
additional meal made them sluggish and short-winded, and they 
did not seem to thrive so well. Good white fish was the best 
food we could give them, and on this diet they could thrive and 
work as on no other. 

A goodly number of dog-shoes were very necessary on these 
wild, rough trips. Dogs' feet are tender, and are liable to injury 
from various causes. On the smooth glare ice the pads of the 
feet would sometimes wear so thin that they bled a good deal. 
Then on the rough roads there was always the danger of their 
breaking ofi" a claw or running a sliver through the webbing 
between the toes. Many of the wise old dogs that had become 
accustomed to these shoes, and thus knew their value, would 
suddenly stop the whole train, and by holding up an injured foot 
very eloquently, if mutely, tell the reason why they had 
done so. 

The dog-shoes are like heavy woollen mits without the thumbs, 
made in different sizes. When a foot is injured, the mit is 
drawn on and securely tied with a piece of soft deer-skin. Then 
the grateful dog, which perhaps had refused to move before, 
springs to his work, often giving out his joyous barks of gratitude. 
So fond do some of the dogs become of these warm woollen 
shoes that instances are known where they have come into the 
camp from their cold resting-places in the snow, and would not 
be content until the men got up and put shoes on all of their 
feet. Then, with every demonstration of gratitude, they have 
gone back to their holes in the snow. 

Our dogs having been fed, we next make our simple arrange- 
ments for our own supper. 

A number of balsam boughs are spread over the spot near the 
fires, from which the snow has been scraped away by our snow- 
shoes. On these is laid our table-cloth, which was generally an' 
empty flour-bag, cut down the side. Our dishes, all of tin, are 
placed in order, and around we gather with vigorous appetites. 
It is fortunate that they are so good, as otherwise our homely 



DOG-SHOES. 107 

fare would not be much prized. The large piece of fat meat is 
served up in a tin pan, and our pint cups are filled up with hot 
tea. If we are fortunate enough to have some bread, which was 
far from being always the case, we thaw it out and eat it with 
our meat. Vegetables were unknown on these trips. Our great 
staple was fat meat, and the fatter the better ; morning, noon, and 
night, and often between times did we stop and eat fat meat. If 
we did vary the menu, it would be by making a raid on the 
dogs' supply, and in the evening camp cooking ourselves a good 
kettle of fish. 

As we dared not wash our hands or faces, of course such a 
thing as washing dishes was unknown. When supper was in 
progress. Jack Frost made us busy in keeping ourselves and pro- 
visions warm. I have seen the large piece of meat put back into 
the pot three times during the one meal, to warm it up. I have 
seen the ice gather on the top of the cup of tea that a few minutes 
before was boiling vigorously in the kettle. 

After supper wood was cut, to be in readiness for the morning's 
fire ; and every break in clothes or harness was repaired, that 
there might be no delay in making a good start. Then the guide, 
who always had charge of all these things, when satisfied that all 
was arranged, would say, '' Missionary, we are ready for prayers.'* 
The Bible and Hymn-book were brought out, and the Indians 
gathered round me, and there together we offered up our evening 
devotions. Would that our readers could have seen us! The 
background is of dense balsam trees, whose great drooping 
branches, partially covered with snow, sweep the ground. Above 
us are the bright stars, and, it may be, the flashing auroras. In 
front of us is the blazing fire, and scattered around us, in picturesque 
confusion, are our dog-sleds, snow-shoes, harness, and the other 
essentials of our outfit. A few of the dogs generally insisted on 
remaining up until their masters had retired, and they were now 
to be seen in various postures around us. With uncovered heads, 
no matter how intense the cold, my Christian Indians listened 
reverently, while in their own language I read from the precious 
volume which they have learned to love so well. Then together 
we san^ a hymn. Frequently it would be the Evening Hymn, 



108 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

the first verse of which in their beautiful Cree language is as 
follows : — 

" Ne mahniecliemou ne muntome 
Kabke wastanahmahweyan, 
Kah nah way yemin Kechahyah 
Ah kwah-nalitahtah-kwahnaoon." 

After singing we bow in prayer. There is there, as there 
should be everywhere, a consciousness of our dependence upon 
the great Helper for protection and support, and so the prayer 
we sang, — * 

" Keep me, keep me, King of Kings, 
Beneath Thine own Almighty wings," 

is indeed our heart's desire. 

Sometimes we are a hundred and fifty miles from the nearest 
human habitation. We are camping out in the woods in a hole 
dug in the snow. We have no walls around us but the snow 
thrown out of the place in which we are huddled, with perhaps the 
addition of some balsam boughs. We have no roof above us but 
the stars. There in that place we are going to lie down and try 
to sleep during that bitter cold night. The light fire will soon 
go out. A foot of snow may fall upon us, and its coming will be 
welcomed, as its warmth will lessen our shivering. Prowling 
grey wolves may come near us, bat the terrible Frost King is 
more to be feared than they. 

Does anybody, who knows the efficacy of prayer, wonder that, 
as we draw near to God, " by prayer and supplication, with thanks- 
giving," we crave the assurance of His favour and smile, and 
that He, Who never slumbers or sleeps, will be our Guardian and 
our Friend ? 

After prayers we soon retire to rest. The guide's familiar 
words soon after prayers used to be, "Now, Missionary, I will 
make your bed." This was his work, and he was an adept at it. 
He first spread out a layer of evergreen boughs, and then on 
these he laid a large bufialo robe, and upon this a heavy blanket. 
Then, placing my pillow so that my head would be farthest away 
from the fire, he would say to me, " Now, if you will get into 
bed, I will cover you up and tuck you in." 



DRESSING FOR BED. 109 

Such a thing as disrobing out there in a wintry camp is 
unknown, unless, as the result of the violent exercise of running 
all day, a person's underclothing has become very damp by per- 
spiration, and it is not safe to sleep in it in that condition. 

Some travellers sleep in a fur bag, in which they manage to 
insert themselves, and then have it tightened around their necks. 
Then a large fur hood over the usual head-gear completes their 
sleeping apparel. I used to wrap myself up in a heavy overcoat 
over my usual apparel, and then putting on long buffalo-skin 
boots, fur mits, cap, cape, and big mufflers, considered myself 
rigged up for retiring. When thus wrapped, I used to have 
some difficulty in getting down into the bed, although it was 
only on the ground. When in position, the guide would throw 
over me another heavy blanket and fur robe. Then very skilfully, 
and in a way most motherly, he would begin at my feet and 
carefully tuck me in. Eapidly and deftly did he proceed with 
his work, and almost before I was aware of what he was doing, 
he had reached my head, which he began to cover completely up 
with the heavy robe which he seemed to be crowding down under 
my back and shoulders. 

The first time he packed me in in this manner I was only able 
to stand it for a minute or two, as I thought I should be 
smothered. So I very suddenly threw up my arms and sent the 
whole upper covering off in a hurry. 

" Do you wish to smother me, man ? " I said. " I cannot live 
with my head covered up like that ! " 

Without any annoyance at my having so quickly undone his 
work, he replied very kindly, " I know it must be hard work for 
you white people to sleep with your heads completely covered up, 
but you will have to do it here, or you will freeze to death. You 
must be very careful, for this seems to be a very cold night 
indeed." Then he called my attention to the distant thunder-like 
sounds which we had been hearing occasionally during the even- 
ing. That, he told me, was the ice, from four to six feet thick, 
on the great lake, cracking in the bitter cold. " Look at the 
smoke," he added. " See how it keeps very near the ground. It 
does that in the bitter cold nights." 
9 



110 BY CANOE AND DOG-TBAIN. 

From the trees around us we heard occasionally a sharp pistol- 
like report, loud enough at times to make a nervous person fancy 
that lurking enemies were firing at us. 

The observant Indians say these loud reports are burstings in 
the trees caused by the freezing of the sap. 

Admiring his cleverness and kindness, I told him that I had 
been taught that every person requires so many cubic feet of 
fresh air ; and, cold or no cold, how did he think I could get my 
share with my head covered up as he desired ? " You must do 
with less out here," he said, as he proceeded to cover me up again, 
while I tried to arrange myself so that I could at least have a 
small portion of air. Kindly and patiently he humoured me, 
and then, when he had finished tucking me in, he said, " Now, 
Missionary, good-night; but don't stir. If you do, you may 
disarrange your coverings while you sleep, and you may freeze to 
death without waking up." 

" Don't stir ! " What a command, I thought, to give a tired 
traveller whose bones ache from his long snow-shoe tramping in 
the woods, whose nerves and muscles are unstrung, and who, like 
others when thus fatigued, has even found it helpful to his rest 
and comfort to turn occasionally and stretch his limbs ! 

In this frame of mind, and under this order, which, after all, I 
felt must be obeyed for fear of the dire results that might follow, 
I at length managed to fall asleep, for I was very weary. After 
a while I woke up to a state of semi-consciousness, and found 
myself tugging and pulling at what I thought in my dreamy 
condition was the end of an axe handle. The vague impression 
on my mind was, that some careless Indian had left his axe just 
behind my head, and in the night the handle had fallen across 
my face, and I had now got hold of the end of it. Fortunately 
for me, I very quickly after this woke fully up, and then found 
out that what I had imagined to be the end of an axe handle was 
my own nose ; and a badly frozen one it was, and both of my ears 
were about in the same condition. 

With the guide's last orders in my ears, I think I must have 
gone to sleep all right, but I suppose, from the unusual smothering 
sensation, unconsciously I must have pushed down the robes from 



FROZEN NOSE AND EARS IN BED. Ill 

my face, and uncovered my head and my hand, and then gradually 
returned to consciousness with the ahove results. However, after 
a few nights of this severe kind of discipline, I at length became 
as able to sleep with my head covered up as an Indian. 

When a foot or eighteen inches of snow fell upon us, we 
rejoiced, for it added to our comfort, and caused us to sleep the 
better. Under this additional covering we generally rested a 
couple of hours longer than usual, often to make up for the loss 
of sleep of the previous nights, when we had found it impossible, 
or had considered it dangerous, to go to sleep. 

The hardest work and the most disagreeable is the getting up 
from such a bed in such a place. Often, in spite of the intense 
cold, we are in a kind of a clammy perspiration, on account of 
the many wraps and coverings about us. As we throw off these 
outer garments, and spring up in our camp, Jack Frost instantly 
assails us in a way that makes us shiver, and often some are 
almost compelled to cry out in bitter anguish. 

Fortunately the wood is always prepared the night before, and 
so, as quickly as possible, a great roaring fire is built up, and our 
breakfast of strong tea and fat meat is prepared and eaten with 
all speed. 

There were times when the morning outlook was gloomy 
indeed, and our position was not an enviable one. On one of my 
trips, of only a hundred and eighty miles, in order to save 
expense, I only took with me one companion, and he was a young 
Indian lad of about sixteen years of age. We each had our own 
train of dogs, and as Old Voyager was leader we guided him by 
voice alone, and he did not disappoint us. One morning, when 
we sprang up from our wintry camp-bed, we found that several 
inches of snow had fallen upon us during the night. As soon as 
possible we arranged our wood in order and endeavoured to kindle 
our fire. We had been late the previous evening in reaching this 
camping place, and so had to grope around in the rapidly increasing 
darkness for our wood. It was of very inferior quahty, but as we 
had succeeded in cooking our suppers with part of it, we had not 
anticipated any trouble with the rest. The snow which had 
fallen upon it had not improved it, and so, as we lighted match 



112 £Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

after matcti, we were at first disgusted, and then alarmed, at 
finding that the poor stuff persistently refused to ignite. Of 
course we had to take our hands out of our big fur mits when 
trying to light the matches. Before we had succeeded in our 
attempts to start the fire our hands began to chill, and soon they 
Vere so powerless that we were not able to hold a match in our 
fingers. Yery naturally we became alarmed, but we persevered 
as long as possible. I remember that, taking one of the matches 
between my teeth and holding up an axe before me, I tried to 
jerk my head quick enough to light it in that way, but the 
experiment was not a success. 

Suddenly there came the consciousness that we were not far 
from perishing if we could not make a fire. I quickly tui-ned to 
my young comrade, and saw by the look in his face that he also 
grasped the situation, and was terrified at the outlook. 
" Alec," I said, " this is a serious thing for us." 
*' Yes, Missionary," said he. " I am afraid we die here. If 
we can make no fire and have no breakfast, I am afraid we will 
freeze to death." 

" Not so bad as that yet, Alec," I said. " God is our refuge 
and help. He has given us other ways by which we can get 
warm. As quickly as possible get on your snow-shoes, and up 
with your hood and on with your mits, and I will do likewise, 
and now see if you can catch me." 

In much less time than I have taken to describe it, we were 
rigged up for rapid snow-shoe running, and were off. Away I 
rushed through the woods as rapidly as I could on my snow-shoes. 
The lad followed me, and thus we ran chasing and catching each 
other alternately as though we were a couple of boisterous school- 
boys instead of a Missionary and his Indian companion striving 
to save themselves from freezing to death. 

After about half an hour of this most vigorous exercise, we 
felt the warmth coming back to our bodies, and then the hot 
blood began working its way out to our benumbed hands, and 
by-and-by we could bend our fingers again. When we felt the 
comfortable glow of warmth over our whole bodies, we rushed 
back again to the camp, and, gathering a quantity of birch bark 



wt> 




" HERE THE BLACK BEARS ARE 
VERY numerous" {p. 115). 



114 £Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

which we found loosely hanging from the trees, and which is 
very inflammable, we soon had a good fire and then our hot 
breakfast. At our morning devotions which followed there was 
a good deal of thanksgiving, and the grateful spirit continued 
in our hearts as we packed up our loads, harnessed up our dogs, 
and sped on our way. It was a very narrow escape. The King 
of Terrors looked us both in the face that cold morning, and 
very nearly chilled us into death by the icy fingers of the Frost 
King. 

As the hours of daylight in the winter months in these high 
latitudes are so few, we generally roused ourselves up several 
hours before daylight. Often my kind-hearted men endeavoured 
to get up first, and have a rousing fire made and breakfast 
cooked, before I would awake. This, however, did not occur 
very often, as such a bed was not conducive to sleep ; so, generally, 
after about four or five hours in such a state of sufibcation, I 
was thankful to get up the instant I heard any one stirring. I 
would rather freeze to death than be suff'ocated. 

There were times not a few when I was the first to get up, 
and kindle the fire and cook the breakfast before I called my 
faithful wearied companions, who, long accustomed to such hard- 
ships, could sleep on soundly, where for me it was an absolute 
impossibility. Sometimes my men, when thus aroused, would 
look up at the stars and say " Assam weputch," i.e., " Very 
early." All I had to do was to look gravely at my watch, and 
this satisfied them that it was all right. The breakfast was 
quickly eaten, our prayers were said, our sleds loaded, dogs 
captured and harnessed — with the Esquimaux ones this was not 
always an easy task — and we were ready to start. 

Before starting we generally threw the evergreen brush on 
which we had slept on the fire, and by its ruddy, cheerful light 
began our day's journey. When some mornings we made from 
twenty-five to forty miles before sunrise, the Indians began to 
think the stars were about right after all, and the Missionary's 
watch very fast. However, they were just as willing to get on 
rapidly as I was, and so did not find fault with the way in which 
I endeavoured to hurry our party along. I paid them extra 



FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST AND OF SOULS. 115 

whenever the record of a trip was broken, and we could lessen 
the number of nights in those open-air camps in the snow. 

We were six days in making our first winter trip to Nelson 
Kiver. In after years we reduced it to four days. The trail 
is through one of the finest fur-producing regions of the North- 
West. Here the wandering Indian hunters make their living 
by trapping such animals as the black and silver foxes, as well 
as the more common varieties of that animal. Here are to be 
found otters, minks, martens, beavers, ermines, bears, wolves, 
and many other kinds of the fur-bearing animals. Here the 
black bears are very numerous. On one canoe trip one summer 
we saw no less than seven of them, one of which we shot and 
lived on for several days. 

Here come the adventurous fur traders to purchase these 
valuable skins, and great fortunes have been made in the 
business. If, merely to make money and get rich, men are 
willing to come and put up with the hardships and privations 
of the country, what a disgrace to us if, for their souls' sake, 
we are afraid to follow in these hunters' trail, or, if need be, 
show them the way, that we may go with the glad story of a 
Saviour's love ! 




CHAPTEK X., 

NELSON EIVER — A DEMONSTRATIVE WELCOME — FIRST RELIGIOUS SER- 
VICE — A POUR HOURS' SERMON — THE CHIEF'S ELOQUENT REPLY — 
THE OLD MAN WITH GRANDCHILDREN IN HIS WIGWAM — "OUR 
father" — "THEN WE ARE BROTHERS" — "YES" — "THEN WHY IS 
THE WHITE BROTHER SO LONG TIME IN COMING WITH THE GOSPEL 
TO HIS RED BROTHER ? " — GLORIOUS SUCCESSES. 

IT was at my second visit to IsTelson River that the work really 
commenced. Through some unforeseen dijOSicnlty at the first 
visit, many of the natives were away. Hunting is even at the 
best a precarious mode of obtaining a livelihood. Then, as the 
movements of the herds of deer, upon the flesh of which many of 
these Indians subsist for the greater part of the year, are very 
erratic, it is often difficult to arrange for a place of meeting, 
where food can be obtained in sufficient abundance while the 
religious services are being held. 

It used to be very discouraging, after having travelled for 
several days together, either by canoe in summer, or dog- trains in 
winter, to reach a certain place which had been arranged for 
meeting, and find very few present. The deer, and other animals 
on which they had expected to live, had gone in another direction, 
and the Indians had been obliged to follow them. 

Everything, however, favoured us on our second visit. We 
found over fifty famihes camped at the place of meeting, and full 
of curiosity to see the Missionary. They had all sorts of strange 
notions in their minds. When Mr. Bundle, of the English 
Wesleyan Church, first went among some of the wild tribes of the 
great Saskatchewan country, with his open Bible, preaching the 



A DEMONSTRATIVE WELC03IE. 117 

wonderful Gospel truths, great was the excitement of the people 
to know where this strange man had come from. So a great 
council was summoned, and the conjurers were ordered to find 
out all about it. After a great deal of drumming and dreaming 
and conjuring, they gravely reported that this strange man with 
his wonderful Book had been wrapped up in an envelope, and 
had come down from the Great Spirit on a rainbow ! 

The Nelson River Indians welcomed me very cordially, and 
were much more demonstrative in their greetings than were any 
of the other tribes I had visited, although I had had my share 
of strange welcomes. Here the custom of handshaking was but 
little known, but the more ancient one of kissing prevailed. 
Great indeed was my amazement when I found myself surrounded 
by two hundred and fifty or three hundred wild Indians, men, 
women, and children, whose faces seemed in bhssful ignorance of 
soap and water, but all waiting to kiss me. I felt unable to 
stand the ordeal, and so I managed to put them off with a shake 
of the hand, and a kind word or two. 

At eight o'clock the next morning we called the Indians 
together for the first public religious service which most of them 
had ever attended. They were intensely interested. My Chris- 
tian Indians from Norway House aided me in the opening 
services, and, being sweet singers, added very much to the interest. 
We sang several hymns, read a couple of lessons from the Bible, 
and engaged in prayer. At about nine o'clock I read as my 
text those sublime words : " For God so loved the world, that He 
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

They listened with the most enrapt attention, while for four 
hours I talked to them of some of the truths of this glorious 
verse. They had never heard a sermon before; they were 
ignorant of the simplest truths of our blessed Christianity; and 
so I had to make everything plain and clear as I went along. 
I could not take anything for granted with that audience. So 
I had to take them back to the Creation and Fall. Then I 
spoke of God's love in providence and grace ; and of His greatest 
act of love, the gift of His only begotten beloved Son, the Lord 



118 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

Jesus Chiist, Who died that we might live. I dwelt on the 
benefits which come to us from the personal acceptance of this 
Saviour. I tried hard to show how we, who had wandered so 
far away, were invited back to actual adoption into God's great 
family, as a conscious reality. I spoke of the universality and 
impartiality of God's love ; of His willingness to receive all, to 
fill our hearts with joy and peace, to comfort us all through life, 
to sustain us in death, and then to take us to everlasting life in 
a world of light and glory. 

The ever-blessed Spirit most graciously applied the truth, as 
I tried, in the simplest and plainest way, to bring it down to 
their comprehension. The attention they gave showed that my 
words were being understood. Their bright eyes glistened and 
at times were suffused with tears, and as I closed the long-pent- 
up silence gave place to loud exclamations of delight. 

Then we translated into their language and sang part of the 

good old hymn : — 

** for a thousand tongues to sing 
My great Redeemer's praise, 
The glories of my God and King, 
The triumphs of His grace 1 " 

Again we bowed in prayer, and, at my request, they repeated 
after me all the petitions which in short easy sentences we 
offered up to Him Who is the Hearer and Answerer of prayer. 
A spirit of awe and solemnity seemed to rest upon us. It was 
the first time the great majority had ever attempted to pray in 
the Name of Jesus, and I felt a sweet assurance that those simple 
petitions, from the hearts and lips of those poor Indians, were 
not despised by Him Whose great heart of love beats so true to 
all. After prayer I requested them all to again seat themselves 
on the ground, as I wished to hear from them about these great 
truths which I had come so far to tell them of. I wanted to 
know what were their wishes and determinations about becoming 
Christians. When I had finished, every eye turned towards the 
principal chief, as these Indians, like the other tribes, have their 
unwritten laws of precedence. He rose up from his place among 
his people, and, coming near me on my right hand, he made one 



THE CHIEF'S THRILLING ADDRESS, 119 

of the most thrilling addresses I ever heard. Years have passed 
away since that hour, and yet the memory of that tall, straight, 
impassioned Indian is as vivid as ever. His actions were many, 
but all were graceful. His voice was particularly fine and full 
of pathos, for he spoke from his heart. Here is the bare outline 
of his speech, as, with my interpreter to aid me, I shortly after- 
wards wrote it down. 

" Missionary, I have long lost faith in our old paganism." 
Then pointing down to the outer edge of the audience, where 
some old conjurers and medicine men were seated, he said, " They 
know I have not cared for our old religion. I have neglected it. 
And I will tell you. Missionary, why I have not believed in our 
old paganism for a long time. I hear God in the thunder, in 
the tempest, and in the storm ; I see His power in the lightning 
that shivers the tree into kindling wood ; I see His goodness in 
giving us the moose, the reindeer, the beaver, and the bear ; I 
see His lovingkindness in giving us, when the south winds 
blow, the ducks and geese ; and when the snow and ice melt 
away, and our lakes and rivers are open again, I see how He 
fills them with fish. I have watched these things for years, 
and I see how during every moon of the year He gives us some- 
thing ; and so He has arranged it, that if we are only industrious 
and careful, we can always have something to eat. So thinking 
about these things which I had observed, I made up my mind 
years ago, that this Great Spirit, so kind and so watchful and 
so loving, did not care for the beating of the conjurer's drum, or 
the shaking of the rattle of the medicine man. So I for years 
have had no religion." 

Then turning towards me and looking me in the face, he said, 
in tones that thrilled me, " Missionary, what you have said 
to-day fills up my heart and satisfies all its longings. It is just 
what I have been expecting to hear about the Great Spirit. I 
am so glad you have come with this wonderful story. Stay as 
long as you can ; and when you have to go away, do not forget 
us, but come again as soon as you can." 

Loud expressions of approval greeted these words of the chief. 
When he had finished, I said, "I want to hear from others, and 



120 BY CANOE AND DOG-TBAIN. 

I want your own views on these important things." Many 
responded to my request, and, with the exception of an old con- 
jurer or two, who feared for their occupation, all spoke in the 
same strain as did the head chief. The last to speak was an old 
man with grizzly hair, and wild, excited movements. He was a 
queer, savage-looking man, and came from the rear of the company 
to the front with strange springy movements. His hair was 
braided, and reached to his knees. Threading his way through 
the audience, he came up close to me, and then, pushing his 
fingers into his hair as far as its braided condition would allow, 
he exclaimed in a tone full of earnestness, " Missionary, once my 
hair was as black as a crow's wing, now it is getting white. Grey 
hairs here, and grandchildren in the Avigwam, tell me that I am 
getting to be an old man ; and yet I never before heard such 
things as you have told us to-day. I am so glad I did not die 
before I heard this wonderful story. Yet I am getting old. 
Grey hairs here, and grandchildren yonder, tell the story. Stay 
as long as you can, Missionary, tell us much of these things, and 
when you have to go away, come back soon, for I have grand- 
children, and I have grey hairs, and may not live many winters 
more. Do come back soon." 

He turned as though he would go back to his place and sit 
down ; but he only went a step or two ere he turned round and 
faced me, and said, " Missionary, may I say more?" 

" Talk on," I said. " I am here now to listen." 

" You said just now, ' Notawenan.' " (" Our Father.") 

" Yes," I said, "I did say, ' Our Father.'" 

" That is very new and sweet to us," he said. " We never 
thought of the Great Spirit as Father : we heard Him in the 
thunder, and saw Him in the lightning, and tempest, and blizzard, 
and we were afraid. So, when you tell us of the Great Spirit as 
Father, that is very beautiful to us." 

Hesitating a moment, he stood there, a wild, picturesque 
Indian, yet my heart had strangely gone out in loving interest 
and sympathy to him. 

Lifting up his eyes to mine, again he said, *' May I say more ? " 

" Yes," I answered, " say on." 



THE OLD MAN WITH THE WHITE HAIR. 121 

" You say, * iVotawenan ' " ( " our Father " ). " He is your 
Father?" 

*' Yes, He is my Father." 

Then he said, while his eyes and voice yearned for the answer, 
" Does it mean He is my Father — poor Indian's Father ? " 

" Yes, yes ! " I exclaimed. ** He is your Father too." 

" Your Father — missionary's Father, and Indian's Father, too ? " 
he repeated. 

" Yes, that is true," I answered. 

" Then we are brothers ? " he almost shouted out. 

" Yes, we are brothers," I replied. The excitement in the 
audience had become something wonderful. When our conversa- 
tion with the old man had reached this point, and in such an 
unexpected, and yet dramatic manner, had so clearly brought 
out, not only the Fatherhood of God, but the oneness of the 
human family, the people could hardly restrain their expres- 
sions of delight. The old man, however, had not yet finished, 
and so, quietly restraining the most demonstrative ones, he again 
turned to me, and said, — 

" May I say more ? " 

" Yes, say on ; say all that is in your heart." 

Never can I forget his answer. 

" Well, I do not want to be rude, but it does seem to me that 
you, my white brother, have been a long time in coming with 
that great Book and its wonderful story, to tell it to your red 
brothers in the woods." 

This question thrilled me, and I found it hard to answer. 
This is the question that milHons of weary, longing, waiting souls, 
dissatisfied with their false religions, and craving for that soul 
rest which only can be found in the hearty - acceptance of the 
glorious Gospel of the Son of God, are asking. I tried to apologise 
for the slowness of the advancement of the Kedeemer's kingdom, 
and the apathy of those who, while acknowledging the brother- 
hood of humanity, so often forget that they are their brother's 
keeper. 

We closed the service for a brief perioc , and then, as soon as 
a hurried dinner had been eaten, we all assembled again for the 



122 BY CANOE AND JDOO-TRAIN. 

afternoon service. This second service lasted for five hours. 
After singing and prayer, I read the beautiful story of the Ethio- 
pian eunuch, and the Baptismal Service. I endeavoured to explain 
what we meant by becoming Christians, and stated that I was 
willing to baptize all who would renounce their paganism, with 
its polygamy, conjuring, gambling, and other vices, and from that 
time begin to worship the true God. Polygamy was the greatest 
stumbling-block among them, as some of them had three or 
four vrives. Intemperance here is but little known, on account 
perhaps of the great difficulty of importing liquor into a region 
so remote from civilisation. 

After I had spent a long time in making clear the doctrines of 
the blessed Book, and had answered many questions, I invited all 
who were willing to comply with these conditions, and desired 
baptism, to come to the front of the audience, where I was 
standing. 

About forty men and women immediately responded, and came 
forward and seated themselves at my feet. Some were trembling, 
others were weeping : all seemed deeply moved. Then I read the 
beautiful Scripture lessons in connection with the baptismal 
service for children, and dwelt upon the love of Jesus for children, 
and His willingness to receive them. I invited the parents to 
consecrate their children to God, even if they themselves were 
as yet undecided. We had a solemn and impressive time. 

All desired new names, and for the great majority I had to 
make the selection. While baptizing them and selecting Christian 
names as additions to their generally poetic and expressive Indian 
names, my constant prayer was, that they might " see His face, 
and His name " be written " in their foreheads." 

Still there was some opposition. Satan would not thus easily 
be dispossessed or driven out. Old conjurers and medicine men, 
faithful followers of the enemy, quickly began their opposition. 
Their selfish natures were aroused. They were shrewd enough to 
see that if I succeeded, as I was likely to do, they, hke Demetrius, 
the shrine-maker of Diana, would soon be without an occupation. 
So at this afternoon gathering they were there to oppose. But 
they were in such a helpless minority that they dared do no worse 



THE OLD CONJURER'S RAGE. 123 

than storm and threaten. One savage old conjurer rushed up to 
me, just as I was about to baptize his wife, who, with many 
others, had come for this sign and seal of her acceptance of Christ. 
Before I had perceived his purpose, or had power to stop him, he 
seized and shook her roughly, and, looking at me, in his impotent 
wrath, said in an insulting manner, 

"Caliber Atim"(" dog"). 

" No," I said, looking kindly at the poor trembling woman, " I 
will do nothing of the kind ; but I will give her the sweetest 
name ever borne by woman, for it was the name of the mother of 
Jesus." 

So I baptized her Mary. 

We spent several days in giving lessons in the Syllabic characters 
between the religious services, three of which we endeavoured to 
hold each day. Sometimes we assembled all the people together, 
and, with these characters marked on the side of a rock with a 
burnt stick, we taught them as best we could. At other times 
we went from tent to tent, and gave them lessons, and had 
religious conversation and prayer. 

It was on one of these rounds of wigwam visitations that I 
came across Pe-pe-qua-na-pua, or Sandy Harte, the story of whose 
life and conversion has been so widely circulated. Several 
acquired such a knowledge of these characters that, by persevering 
for a few weeks, they were able to read very nicely in the blessed 
Book. 

I left with them several dozen copies of the New Testament, 
Hymn-books, and Catechisms, in their own language. 

So great was their anxiety for religious instruction, that many 
of them remained for three days after they had eaten all of their 
provisions. When I first heard this, I could hardly credit it, but 
found out by personal investigation that it was the actual fact. 
With tears in their eyes they bade me farewell, and said, that on 
account of their famishing children they must start ofi* for their 
fishing and hunting grounds. But they added, " What we have 
heard from you will make us glad and thankful all the time." 

With my faithful travelling companions, I made a trip out 
from Nelson Biver to another small band about thirty miles 



124 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

away. We spent the Sabbath in a miserable wigwam, where the 
snow and sleet dashed in upon us, making us shiver in spite of 
all we could do. Still, as the poor Indians were anxious to hear 
the Gospel, we soon forgot our physical discomforts in the joy 
of preaching this great salvation. Nineteen of them accepted 
Christ as their Saviour, and were baptized. We held a meeting 
for the purpose of hearing them tell of their wishes as to this 
blessed religion. Many very interesting things were said. We 
here record only one. 

A fine-looking man said, " What has fully decided me to 
endeavour to be a good Christian all my days is this. The 
Missionary has told us many reasons, all sufficient to decide 
us ; but the one that came very near to my heart was, that all 
the little children who have died have been taken to that better 
land, and there they are with the loving Saviour in heaven. 
My little ones have passed away, leaving my heart sore and 
bleeding. I yearn after them ; I long to meet them again. So 
I want so to live that when I die Jesus will permit me to embrace 
them, and never be separated from them again." 

On this trip, we found at another small encampment a young 
girl, about twelve years of age, dying of consumption. I talked 
to her of Jesus and heaven, and prayed with her several times. 
When the closing scene drew near, she said to her sorrowing 
mother, " I am glad the praying man has told me such words 
of comfort. I have lost that dread of death I had. I believe 
that dear Jesus vdll take me to that better land ; but, mother, 
when you come, will you look for me until you find me? for I do 
wish to see you again." 

Is it any wonder that I became deeply attached to these 
Nelson Eiver Indians? I visited them twice a year, and by 
pen and voice pleaded for them until my heart's desire was 
obtained, and a brother beloved volunteered to go and live among 
them. Of him with joy I write. 




CHAPTEK XI. 



A WELCOME ACCESSION — THE REV. JOHN SEMMENS— A DEVOTED YOUNG 
MISSIONARY — FIRST TO RESIDE AT NELSON RIVER — IN LABOURS AND 
IN PERILS OPT— IN JOURNEYINGS OFT BY DOG-TRAINS TOGETHER— 
THE CENTENARIAN OLD CHRISTIAN— WILLIAM PAPANEKIS— HIS 
GODLY LIFE AND WONDROUS TRANSLATION. 

ONE cold wintry morning we were gladdened by the arrival 
of a dear brother and colleague in the work, the Rev. John 
Semmens, who had left a comfortable charge in Ontario, and 
had come out to help me in the prosecution of the blessed work. 
Brother Semmens had to taste, early in his missionary work 
among the Indians, some of the dangers incident to such a Hf e. 
He came to us at Norway House in the depth of the winter, and 
suffered much from the intense cold and blizzard storms. One 
night, while trying to rest in the camp in the woods on his way 
out, a fierce storm blew down a large tree, which fell very close 
to him. Providentially no one was hurt. 

He soon became very popular among the Indians, for whom he 
subsequently gave many years of successful, self-denying toil. 
His presence with us in our home was a great joy. None but 
those who have been deprived of the pleasure of the society and 
fellowship of kindred spirits can realise what a benediction this 
sweet-spirited and devoted young brother was in our home. 
With one great object before us, that of doing the greatest 
possible good we could to the Indians among whom we were 
called to labour, and fortunately seeing " eye to eye " as to the 
methods of our work, we spent some months and broken years 
in harmony in doing what we could. 
10 



126 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

Brother Semmens* name will ever be associated with the 
Nelson River Mission, as he was the first missionary to go and 
live in that region of country and among those wandering Abori- 
gines, who had received me with such expressions of joy when 
on my visits, so few, alas ! and far between. Very many indeed 
were Mr. Semmens' hardships. Their wandering life made his 
work slow and at times discouraging. He had not at first a 
knowledge of their language, and could not always get an inter- 
preter. However, as the love of Christ was the constraining 
motive, he persevered, and great indeed was his success among 
them. 

We will not here insert any of the many thrilling incidents of 
his romantic pioneer work among them. We hope that from his 
fluent pen will come his own record, which will be a very valuable 
addition to missionary literature. Often did we, like the early 
ones sent out by the Master in pairs, go together on some long 
and difficult exploring tours. At many a camp-fire and in many 
a wigwam have we talked and pleaded with the wandering 
Indians, and have besought them to be reconciled to God. Hun- 
dreds of miles have we tramped on together, until our limbs were 
cramped and our feet were bleeding ; and then, in the cold camp 
after supper and prayers, have we crowded in close together 
under the same robes and tried to sleep. Will either of us ever 
forget the trip in to District Meeting at Winnipeg, where on the 
great Lake we got separated from the rest of our party, but by 
rapid travelling reached the comfortable home and cordial welcome 
of our beloved Chairman, the Rev. George Young, thus escaping 
the terrible blizzard in which so many suffered ? Then the return 
trip was equally exciting and perilous. We left Winnipeg on 
the Saturday afternoon with our heavily loaded dog sleds. At 
Mr. Sifton's, near Selkirk, we were cordially welcomed, and hei-c- 
we remained in quiet rest and joyous worship during the Sabbat] i 
day. When the clock struck the hour of midnight, we exchanged 
our black clothes for our leather suits. We harnessed up our 
dogs, and then, after eating a midnight meal, we bade our host 
and hostess farewell, and pushed out under the stars on our long 
journey to the far North. Mr. Semmens' journey would not be 




^ ^-^^ COFfR.'OHT 1889. 
RuHLRT BONNER S SON£' 



"we exchanged our black clothes fok our leather suits" {p. 126). 



128 3Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

finished until he was six or seven hundred miles nearer the North 
-Pole. 

Mr. Sifton told me in after years, that they could only sit 
there and weep as they thought of our starting off in the bitter 
■©old and gloom of that midnight hour on such a journey. 
-Missionary work to them from that hour took on itself additional 
interest, and ever after much greater, if possible, was their love 
for those who for His sake were willing to endure hardness in 
extending the knowledge of His Name. 

Ere the sun rose, we were near the Willow Islands, and there 
we had our breakfast. It was getting late in the winter season, 
and so the reflection of the brilliant rays of the sun on the 
dazzlingly white snowy waste of "Winnipeg gave us both a touch 
of snow-blindness. Still, as we could see a little, we only stopped 
when it was necessary, and rapidly hurried on. When about 
twenty miles from Beren's River night came down upon us ; but 
I could not bear the idea of having again to sleep in a miserable 
camp when home was so near, for at this time I was in charge of the 
new work among the Saulteaux. So I said to Brother Semmens, 
and to our two well-disciplined dog-drivers, " Courage, men, a 
little longer; let us not stop here in the bitter cold when our 
homes are so near." The Indians responded with a will, and 
rejoiced that we were to go on. But my beloved Brother 
Semmens was completely tired out, and my heart was filled with 
sorrow as I saw how utterly exhausted he was. Throwing himself 
down on the cold, icy surface of the lake, he said, " Throw me 
out a blanket and a piece of pemmican, and leave me here. I 
cannot go a step further. The rest of you have wives and 
children to lure you on to your homes ; I have none. I can go 
no farther. My feet are bleeding from the straps of my snow- 
shoes. I will stay here. Never mind me." 

Thus the dear fellow talked, for he was exhausted and dis- 
couraged. I did not feel much better, but I tried to put a bold 
face on the matter, and I said, " No, indeed, we will not leave 
you here. We are going on, and we are going to take you with 
us ; and a good supper under a roof, and then a warm bed, are to 
be yours before morning comes." 



ACCIDENTS AND HARDSHIPS. 129 

One of my dogs, called Muff, a magnificent but over-amT3itious 
St. Bernard, the gift of Mrs. Andrew Allen, of Montreal, had 
broken her collar-bone during this trip. The plan generally- 
adopted, when such an accident happens to one of the dogs, was 
to kill it at once, and then push on with the diminished train. 
However, as Muff was such a valuable dog, and there was a 
possibility of her recovering, I decided to carry her home, although 
we were a long distance from it. I so arranged my sled that she 
could ride upon it, and she soon became quite reconciled to her 
place. But it meant a good deal of hard running for me. Before 
the accident occurred, I could ride a great part of the time, 
although we had over six hundred pounds weight upon the sled. 
However, as Jack was one of the train, I was able to ride when 
the ice was good. Now, however, with one dog less in the train, 
and that one as so much additional weight on the sled, it meant 
the end of my riding for that trip. 

Very quickly did I decide how to act in order to help my dear 
companion in tribulation. With pur axes my Indians and 
myself chopped a hole in the solidly packed snow and ice near the 
shore of the lake. In this we spread out a buffalo robe, and on 
it we placed the injured dog. Then around her we placed the 
greater part of the load of the dog-sled, and then covered all up 
as well as we could with the large deer-skin sleigh wrapper. 
Giving the dog orders to guard well the supplies from prowHng 
wild animals, and making a large number of tracks as an 
additional precaution, we left Muff there with her goods. 

Then we drove the dogs over to the spot where Mr. Semmens 
lay, and, wrapping him well up in robes and putting a little 
pillow under his head, we tied him on the sled, and started off on 
the last stage of our journey. We were all so weary that we 
made but slow progress, and it was after midnight ere the 
welcome Mission House was reached, and we were within the 
walls of home. 

Mr. Semmens had fortunately slept most of the way. A good 
supper, after a warm bath, and then a long, sweet, dreamless 
sleep, that lasted until nearly noon of the next day, wonderfully 
refreshed his spirits, and as he came down and greeted us, his 



130 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

first words were, " Egerton, I am so glad you did not leave me 
there to perish on the ice ! " 

Still in his prime, with a noble wife and precious children 
around him, he is in that land doing good service for the Master. 
From him we yet expect to hear good tidings, for in physical 
strength and mental equipment and thorough consecration to his 
work he is the peer of any who there toil. 

The Centenarian. 

One of the first Indians to attract our attention at Norway 
House was a venerable-looking old man of more than usual 
height. His appearance was quite patriarchal. His welcome 
had been most cordial, and his words seemed to us like a loving 
benediction. He called us his children, and welcomed us to our 
home and work in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

As he was very aged, and had to come a long distance from 
his home to the Sunday morning service, we invited him, on the 
first Sunday after our arrival at the Mission, to dine with us. 
He was very grateful, and said this would enable him to remain 
for the afternoon native service, which he dearly prized. He 
was not only a blessed Christian, but a natural gentleman. We 
were so drawn towards him that we invited him to dine with us, 
and then rest awhile, each Sabbath between the services. 

Like all the old Indians, his age was unknown, but it must 
have been over a century, as men above fifty said he was called 
an old man when they were boys. The fact that his name had 
been on the Hudson's Bay Company's book for eighty years, as a 
skilful hunter, makes it quite safe to class him as a centenarian. 

His testimony to the blessedness of the Gospel was very clear 
and delightful. He "knew Whom he had believed," and ever 
rejoiced in the blessed assurance that he would have grace given 
to keep him to the end. He was one of the first converts of the 
early Missionaries, and had remained true and steadfast. He had 
been a successful Class Leader for many years, and faithfully and 
well did he attend to his duties. If any of his members were 
not at the meeting, he knew the reason why before the next 
evening, if they were within five or six miles of his home. 



THE CENTENARIAN INDIAN 131 

As he lived a couple of years after we reached the Mission, we 
got to be very well acquainted, and it was ever a blessing to 
talk to him of spiritual things. I had a very convincing 
evidence one day of the thoroughness with which he had 
renounced his old pagan life and its sinful practices. We had 
been talking on various subjects, and the matter of different 
kinds of beliefs came up. As he had a very retentive memory, 
and I had been told that he was the bist authority on old 
Indian religions and superstitions, I took out of my pocket a 
note-book and pencil, and said, "Mismis" (English, "Grand- 
father "), " I want you to tell me some things about your old 
conjurings and religions. I may want to write a book some 
time, and put some of these things in it." 

The dear old man's face became clouded, and he shook his head 
and remained silent. 

I urged my request, saying I felt certain he, from his great 
age, must have much to talk about. For his answer, he sat down 
in his chair, and, putting his elbows on his knees, buried his face 
in his hands, and seemed lost in a kind of reverie. 

I waited for a few minutes, for all was hushed and still. His 
family had heard my question, and they had become intensely 
interested. The silence became almost painful, and so I said in 
a cheery strain, " Come, grandfather, I am waiting to write down 
what you have to say." 

Suddenly he sprang up in a way that startled us all, and, 
stretching out his hand like an orator, he began : — 

'' Missionary ! the old wicked life is like a nightmare, like a 
bad dream, like a terrible sickness that made us cry out with 
pain. I am trying to banish it, to forget it, to wipe it out of 
my memory. Please do not ask me to talk about it, or to bring 
it up. I could not sleep ; I should be miserable." 

Of course I put up my book and pencil, and did not further 
trouble the dear old man, who seemed so loth to talk about his 
old belief. 

The next Sunday after this interview we had a Fellowship 
Meeting in the church. One of the first to speak was this 
venerable grandfather. He said, " The Missionary wanted me 



132 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

to talk to him about my old religion. I could not do it. It was 
my enemy. It only made me miserable. The more I followed 
it, the more unhappy I was. So I have cast it out of my life, 
and from my heart. Would that I could wash it out of my 
memory ! " Then he added, " But perhaps the memory of it helps 
to make me love my Saviour better, as I can remember from 
what He has saved me. I was so far from him, and so dark and 
sinful. He reached down His strong arm and lifted me out of 
the dark place, and put me into the light. 0, I am so thankful 
Jesus saves me, and I love to talk about it." 

And he did talk about it, and our hearts rejoiced with him. 

Of him it could be truthfully said, " What he once loved he 
now hates, and does it so thoroughly that he does not even wish 
to talk about it." 

While writing these pleasant memories, perhaps I cannot do 
better than here record the remark ible closing scenes of the life 
of this venerable old man, the patriarch of the village. His 
family was a large one. He had several sons. Worthy, excellent 
men they were. About some of them we shall have interesting 
things to say. The youngest, Edwiid, it was my joy to lead into 
the sweet assurance that his sins were all forgiven. In July, 
1889, he was ordained, in Winnipeg, to the office and work of the 
Christian ministry. 

Martin, another of his sons, was one of my most loved and 
trusted guides, and my companion, for thousands of miles, in 
birch canoe by summer, and dog-trains by winter. We have 
looked death in the face together many times, but I never knew 
him to flinch or play a coward's part. Supplies might fail, and 
storms and head-winds delay us, until starvation stared us in the 
face, and even the Missionary himself began to question the 
wisdom of taking these wild journeys where the chances were 
largely against our return, when from Martin, or one of the 
others, would come the apt quotation from the Sacred Word, or 
from their musical voices the cheering hymn which said, — 

" Give to the winds thy fears ; 
Hope, and be undismayed : 
God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears, 
God shall lift up thy head. 



. ,i,'« 










134 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

** Througli waves and clouds and storms 
He gently clears thy way : 
Wait thou His time, so shall this night 
Soon end in joyous day." 

Very precious and very real were many of the blessed promises, 
and their fulfilment, to us in those times of peril and danger, 
when death seemed to be so near, and we so helpless and 
dependent upon the Almighty arm. 

Another son of this old saint was Samuel, the courageous guide 
and modest, unassuming Christian. He was the one who guided 
his well-loaded brigade up the mighty Saskatchewan river to the 
rescue of the whites there, and having safely and grandly done 
his work, " holding on to God," went up the shining way so 
triumphantly that there lingered behind on his once pallid face 
some radiance of the glory like that into which he had entered ; 
and some seeing it were smitten with a longing to have it as 
their portion, and so, then and there, they gave themselves to 
God. Of him we shall hear more farther on. 

One day when the venerable father met his class, he told his 
members that his work was nearly done, and very soon indeed 
he expected to pass over to the better land. Although as well 
as he had been for months, yet he had a premonition that the 
end of his life was near. Very lovingly and faithfully did he 
talk to them, and exhorted them to be faithful to the end. 

The next day he sent for me, and requested me to appoint 
one of his sons as leader of his class, if I thought him worthy 
of the place. 

I said, "We do not want to lose you. Your class members 
all love you. Why resign your position % " 

A strange look in his face told me that he had set his heart 
on joining another company, and that it seemed as though he 
were only postponing his departure until his Httle affairs on 
earth were set in order. 

" I am going very soon now, and I want to have everything 
settled before I go ; and I shall be so glad to see my son 
William leader of my class, if you think it best." 



A MARVELLOUS TRANSLATION. 135 

As the son was a most excellent man the appointment was 
made, much to the aged father's delight. 

The next day he had assembled all the old members who had 
renounced paganism and become Christians at the same time 
he did over thirty years before. There were enough of them to 
fill his house, and all came who possibly could. They sang and 
prayed together, and then he stood up before them and addressed 
them in loving and ajQfectionate words. 

As I sat there and looked upon the scene, while, for about an 
hour, he was reviewing the past, and talking of God's goodness 
in bringing them out of paganism, and conferring so many 
blessings upon them, I thought of Joshua's memorable gathering 
of the elder people at Shechem to hear his dying charge. At 
his request I administered to them all, and those of his many 
relations who were worthy, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 
It was a most impressive time. He Whose dying we celebrated 
seemed in Spirit very blessedly near. 

Then perhaps another hour was spent, at his desire, in singing 
his favourite hymns and in prayer. He entered with great 
spirit into the devotions, and many said afterwards, " Heaven 
seemed very near." I shook hands with him and said, "Good- 
bye," and returned to my home. With the exception of a little 
weariness on account of the exciting services through which he 
had passed, I saw no change in him. His voice was just as 
cheery, his eye as bright, his grip as firm as usual, and I saw no 
reason why he should not live a good while yet. 

About an hour after, while talking the matter over with Mrs. 
Young, and giving her some of the specially interesting incidents 
of the memorable services with our dear old friend, there was a 
sudden call for me by an Indian, who, rushing in without any 
ceremony, exclaimed, " Come quickly ; grandfather is dead ! " I 
hurriedly returned with him, and found that the aged patriarch 
had indeed passed away. 

They told me that after I had left them he continued for a 
time to speak loving words of counsel and advice to them. Then, 
as had been his habit, he lay down on his bed, and drew his 
blanket around him, as though prepared for rest. As they knew 



136 BF CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

be must be weary, they kept very still, so as not to disturb him. 
Not bearing him breathe, one of them touched him, and found 
that he had fallen into that sleep which here knows no waking. 
He was not, for God had taken him. 

It was a remarkable death. The great difficulty among us 
seemed to be, to realise the presence of death at all. He suffered 
from no disease, and never complained of pain. His mind was 
unclouded till the last. In his humble position he had done his 
work, and done it well ; and so now, with all the confidence of a 
loving child resting in the arms of a mother, he laid his head 
down on the bosom of his Lord. 

With rejoicings, rather than weepings, we laid in the little 
graveyard all that was mortal of William Papanekis. We missed 
him very much, for his presence wias like the sunshine, and his 
prayers were benedictions upon us all. 




CHAPTER XII. 

REV. JAMES EVANS, THE PEERLESS MISSIONARY— HIS JOURNEYS BY CANOE 
AND DOG-TRAIN — THE CREE SYLLABIC CHARACTERS, HIS INVENTION 
— LORD DUPFERIN'S WORDS CONCERNING HIM — HIS SUCCESSES — HIS 
TRIALS — ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING OP HIS INTERPRETER— SURRENDER- 
ING HIMSELF TO THE AVENGERS — ADOPTED INTO A PAGAN FAMILY — 
VISIT TO ENGLAND — SUDDEN DEATH. 

WITHOUT any question, the Rev. James Evans was the 
grandest and most successful of all our Indian Missionaries. 
Of him it can be said most emphatically, While others have done 
well, he excelled them all. 

In burning zeal, in heroic efforts, in journeyings oft, in tact 
that never failed in many a trying hour, in success most marvel- 
lous, in a vivacity and sprightliness that never succumbed to 
discouragement, in a faith that never faltered, and in a solicitude 
for the spread of our blessed Christianity that never grew less, 
James Evans stands among us without a peer. 

If full accounts of his long journeys in the wilds of the great 
North-West could be written, they would equal in thrilling 
interest anything of the kind known in modern missionary 
annals. There is hardly an Indian Mission of any prominence 
to-day in the whole of the vast North-West, whether belonging 
to the Church of England, the Roman Catholic, or the Methodist 
Church, that James Evans did not commence ; and the reason 
why the Methodist Church to-day does not hold them all is, 
because the apathetic Church did not respond to his thrilling 
appeals, and send in men to take possession and hold the fields 
as fast as they were successfully opened up by him. 



138 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

From the northern shores of Lake Superior away to the 
ultima Thule that lies beyond the waters of Athabasca and Slave 
Lakes, where the Aurora Borealis holds high carnival ; from the 
beautiful prairies of the Bow and Saskatchewan Rivers to the 
muskegs and sterile regions of Hudson's Bay ; from the fair and 
fertile domains of Bed and Assinaboia Bivers, to the foot-hills of 
the Bocky Mountains, enduring footprints of James Evans may 
still be seen. 

At many a camp-fire, and in many a lonely wigwam, old 
Indians yet linger, whose eyes brighten and who,«e tongues wax 
eloquent as they recall that man whose deeds live on, and whose 
converts from a degrading paganism are still to be counted by 
scores. Many a weary hour has been charmed away, as I have 
listened to Papanekis the elder, or Henry Budd, or some other 
old Indian guide or dog-driver, or canoe-man, while they rehearsed 
the thrilling adventures, the narrow escapes, the wonderful 
deliverances, and also some of the tragic events, through which 
they passed in company with the " Nistum Ayumeaookemou," 
the " first Missionary." 

The dog-drivers loved to talk about Mr. Evans' wonderful 
train of half dogs, half wolves, with which for years he travelled. 
With great enthusiasm they would talk of their marvellous speed 
and endurance, of their fierceness and sagacity ; of how, when the 
nights in the wintry camps were unusually cold — say fifty or sixty 
degrees below zero — these fierce animals would crowd into the 
camp, and, lying on their backs, would hold up both their fore 
and hind feet, and thus mutely beg for some one to have compas- 
sion upon them and put on the warm woollen dog-shoes. 

His canoe trips were often of many weeks' duration, and 
extended for thousands of miles. No river seemed too rapid, 
and no lake too stormy, to deter him in his untiring zeal to find 
out the Indian in his solitudes, and preach to him the ever-blessed 
Gospel. Ever on the look-out for improvements to aid him in 
more rapid transit through the country, Mr. Evans constructed 
a canoe out of sheet tin. This the Indians called the " Island of 
light," on account of its flashing back the sun's rays as it ghded 
along propelled by the strong paddles in the hands of the well- 




Aii^ikASfc 



140 J3Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

trained crew. With them they carried in this novel craft solder 
and soldering-iron, and when they had the misfortune to run 
upon a rock they went ashore and quickly repaired the injured 
place. 

Mr. Evans had been for years a Minister and Missionary in 
the Canadian Methodist Church. With the Eev. Wilham Case 
he had been very successfully employed among the Indians in 
the Province of Ontario. When the English Wesleyan Society 
decided to begin work among the neglected tribes in the Hudson's 
Bay Territories, the Rev. James Evans was the man appointed 
to be the leader of the devoted band. In order to reach Norway 
House, which was to be his first principal Mission, his household 
effects had to be shipped from Toronto to England, and thence 
reshipped to York Factory on the Hudson Bay. From this place 
they had to be taken up by boats to Norway House in the interior, 
a distance of five hundred miles. Seventy times had they to be 
lifted out of these inland boats and carried along the portages 
around falls and cataracts ere they reached their destination. 

Mr. Evans himself went by boat from Toronto. The trip from 
Thunder Bay in Lake Superior to Norway House was performed 
in a birch bark canoe. Hundreds of Indians listened to his 
burning messages, and great good was done by him and his 
faithful companions in arms, among them being the heroic Mr. 
Barnley, and Mr. Bundle, of the English Wesleyan Church. 

The great work of Mr. Evans' life, and that with which his 
name will be ever associated, was undoubtedly the invention and 
perfecting of what is now so widely known as the Cree Syllabic 
Characters. What first led him to this invention was the 
difficulty he and others had in teaching the Indians to read in 
the ordinary way. They are hunters, and so are very much on 
the move, like the animals they seek. To-day their tents are 
pitched where there is good fishing, and perhaps in two weeks 
they are far away in the deep forests, where roam the reindeer, 
or on the banks of streams where the beavers build their wonderful 
dams and curious homes. The constant thought in this master 
Missionary's mind was, " Can I possibly devise a plan by which 
these wandering people can learn to read more easily? " 



CREE SYLLABIC CHARACTERS. 141 

The principle of the characters which he adopted is phonetic. 
There are no silent letters. Each character represents a syllable ; 
hence no spelling is required. As soon as the alphabet is 
mastered, and a few additional secondary signs, some of which 
represent consonants, and some aspirates, and some partially 
change the sound of the main character, the Indian student, be 
he a man or woman of eighty, or a child of six years, can commence 
at the first chapter of Genesis and read on, slowly of course at 
first, but in a few days with surprising ease and accuracy. 

Many were Mr. Evans' difiiculties in perfecting this invention 
and putting it in practical use, even after he had got the scheme 
clear and distinct in his own mind. He was hundreds of miles 
away from civilisation. Very little indeed had he with which to 
work. Yet with him there was no such word as failure. Obtain- 
ing, as a great favour, the thin sheets of lead that were around 
the tea-chests of the fur traders, he melted these down into little 
bars, and from them cut out his first types. His ink was made 
out of the soot of the chimneys, and his first paper was birch 
bark. After a good deal of effort, and the exercise of much 
ingenuity, he made a press, and then the work began. 

Great indeed was the amazement and delight of the Indians. 
The fact that the bark could " talk " was to them most wonderful. 
Portions of the Gospels were first printed, and then some of the 
beautiful hymns. The story of this invention reached the 
Wesleyan home Society. Generous help was afforded. A good 
supply of these types was cast in London, and, with a good press 
and all the essential requisites, including a large quantity of 
paper, was sent out to that Mission, and for years it was the 
great point from which considerable portions of the Word of God 
were scattered among the wandering tribes, conferring unnumbered 
blessings upon them. In later years the noble British and Foreign 
Bible Society has taken charge of the work ; and now, thanks to 
their generosity, the Indians have the blessed Word scattered 
among them, and thousands can read its glorious truths. 

All the Chinches having Missions in that great land have 
availed themselves, more or less, of Mr. Evans' invention. To 
suit other tribes speaking different languages, the characters 
11 



142 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

have been modified or have had additions to them, to correspond 
with sounds in those languages which were not in the Cree. 
Even in Greenland the Moravian Missionaries are now using 
Evans' Syllabic Characters with great success among the 
Esquimaux. 

When Lord Dufferin was Governor-General of the Dominion 
of Canada, hearing that a couple of Missionaries from the Indian 
tribes were in Ottawa, where he resided, he sent a courteous 
request for us to call upon him. With two or three friends, 
Mr. Crosby, our successful and energetic Missionary from British 
Columbia, and I, obeyed the summons. 

The interview was a very pleasant and profitable one. Lord 
Dufferin questioned Mr. Crosby about Biitish Columbia and his 
work, and was pleased to hear of his great success. After a 
bright and earnest conversation with me in reference to the 
Indians of the North- West Territories, in which his Excellency 
expressed his solicitude for the welfare and happiness of the 
aboriginal tribes of red men, he made some inquiries in reference 
to missionary work among them, and seemed much pleased with 
the answers I was able to give. In mentioning the help I had 
in my work, I showed him my Cree Indian Testament printed in 
Evans' Syllabic Characters, and explained the invention to him. 
At once his curiosity was excited, and, jumping up, he hurried 
oflf for pen and ink, and got me to write out the whole alphabet 
for him ; and then, with that glee and vivacity for which his 
lordship was so noted, he constituted me his teacher, and 
commenced at once to master them. 

As their simplicity, and yet wonderful adaptation for their 
designed work, became evident to him — for in a short time ho 
was able to read a portion of the Lord's Prayer — Lord Dufferin 
was much excited, and, getting up from his chair and holding up 
the Testament in his hand, exclaimed, " Why, Mr. Young, what 
a blessing to humanity the man was who invented that alphabet ! " 
Then he added, " I profess to be a kind of a literary man myself, 
and try to keep posted up in my reading of what is going on, but 
I never heard of this before. The fact is, the nation has given 
many a man a title, and a pension, and then a resting-place and 



INTERVIEW WITH LORD DUFFERIN. 143 

a monument in Westminster Abbey, who never did half so much 
for his fellow-creatures." 

Then again he asked, " Who did you say was the author or 
inventor of these characters % " 

" The Rev. James Evans," I replied. 

" Well, why is it I never heard of him before, I wonder ? " 

My reply was, " My lord, perhaps the reason why you never 
heard of him before was because he was a humble, modest 
Methodist preacher." 

With a laugh he replied, " That may have been it," and then 
the conversation changed. 

Mr. Evans was ever anxious that the Indian converts should 
at once be made to understand all the duties and responsibilities 
of the new life on which they were entering. He was a fearless 
man, and boldly declared unto them the whole counsel of God. 
Knowing the blighting, destroying influences of the "fire water" 
upon the poor Indian race, he made the Church a total abstinence 
society, and, as all missionaries should, he set them the example 
of his own life. Then, as regards the keeping of the Sabbath, he 
took his stand on the Word of God, and preached the absolute 
necessity of the one day's rest in seven. In after years we saw 
the good results of the scriptural lessons which he and his worthy 
successors taught in reference to the holy day. 

Many and severe were the trials, and mysterious some of the 
persecutions, which this glorious man had to bear. Because of 
his unswerving loyalty to truth, and his conscientious and fearless 
teaching of all the commandments of God's Word, some in high 
authority, who at first were supposed to be friendly, turned 
against him, and became his unprincipled foes. The trouble 
first seemed to begin when Mr. Evans taught the Indians to 
" Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." At his request, 
they, when hunting or fishing or tripping in the months of open 
water, rested on the Lord's day. Short-sighted employers, un- 
conscious of the fact, so often demonstrated, that they who rest 
the one day in seven can do more work in the other six, opposed 
this teaching, and, when they could not stop it, assailed the 
Missionary in a way that must have caused a jubilee in hell. I 



144 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

shall not go into particulars. Most of the principal actors are in 
the presence of the Judge of all the earth. He Who suffered for 
a time the name of this devoted servant of His to be so shamefully 
clouded has cleared all the mists away; and like the silver 
refined by the furnace, so has it been in this case. 

JBut persecutions, and even these bitter assaults upon his 
'cliaracter, could not turn him from the most intense activity in 
his blessed life-work. Like an Apostle Paul in primitive times, 
or like a Coke or Asbury in the early years of this century, so 
travelled James Evans. When we say he travelled thousands 
of miles each year on his almost semi-continental journeys, we 
must remember that these were not performed by coach or rail- 
road, or even with horse and carriage, or in the saddle or sailing 
vessel, but by canoe and dog-train. How much of hardship 
and suffering that means, we are thankful but few of our readers 
will ever know. There are a few of us who do know something 
of these things, and this fellowship of his suffering knits our 
hearts in loving memory to him who excelled us all, and the 
fragrance of whose name and unselfish devotion to his work met 
us almost everywhere, although years had passed away since 
James Evans had entered into his rest. ** He being dead yet 
speaketh." To vn?ite about him and his work is a labour of love. 
Would that the pen of some ready writer might give us a 
biography of this Missionary of such versatility of gifts, and such 
marvellous success in his work ! 

Room only have I here, in addition to what has already been 
written, to give some account of the sad event of his life, the 
accidental shooting of his interpreter, Joseph Hasselton, and the 
after consequences. 

Word reached Mr. Evans one year, that the priests were en- 
ieavouring to crowd up into the Athabasca and Mackenzie River 
jountry, and get a foothold among some very interesting Indians 
(vhom Mr. Evans had visited and found very anxious for the 
truth. Desirous that they should not be led away from the 
simplicity of the Gospel, he felt that the best plan was for him 
to hurry up by light canoe and get into that country and 
among his Indians before the priests arrived. They had gone 



THE INTERPRETERS TRAGIC DEATH, 145 

the usual route up the Saskatchewan, and from thence were to 
go over the height of land, and then by boat down the streams 
which from those regions run towards the Arctic Ocean. 

Mr. Evans' plan was to take what is called " the back route," 
that was, to go partly down the Nelson River, and then, turning 
westward through an ahnost endless succession of lakes and 
rivers and portages, arrive before the other parties, although 
several weeks of severest toil would be passed in making the long 
journey. With his beloved interpreter, who was one of the most 
remarkable Indians of his day, a man who could talk almost 
every Indian language spoken by the natives of the land, and, 
what was better, a devoted Christian, full of zeal and enthusiasm 
for the work, and with another reliable native from whom I 
received my information as to what occurred, the long journey 
was commenced. For several days they made good progress, and 
were rejoicing at the prospect of success. One morning, very 
early, while they were paddling along in the great Nelson Eiver, 
Hasselton, the interpreter, who was in the front of the canoe,' 
said, "I see some ducks in those reeds near the shore. Hand 
me the gun." In these small canoes the guns are generally 
kept in the stern with the muzzles pointing back, so as to prevent 
accidents. The man who was in the stern quickly picked up 
the gun, and foolishly drew back the trigger. With the muzzle 
pointing forward he passed the gun to Mr. Evans, who did nob 
turn his head, as he was earnestly looking if he also could see 
the ducks. As Mr. Evans took the gun passed to him he un- 
fortunately let the trigger, which had no guard around it, strike 
against the thaft of the canoe. Instantly it went off, and the 
contents were discharged into the head of the poor man in front. 
He turned his dying eyes upon Mr. Evans, and then fell over, a 
corpse. It was an awful accident, and doubly painful on account 
of the unfortunate surroundings. Here the two survivors were, 
about two hundred miles from any habitation. They could not 
take the body back with them. Eor days they would meet none 
to whom they could tell their story. They went ashore, and, when 
their first paroxysm of grief was over, they had to dig, as best 
they could, a grave in the wilderness, and there bury their dead. 



146 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

They turned their faces homeward, and very sorrowful indeed 
was the journey. Great was the grief at the village, and greater 
still the consternation when it was discovered what Mr. Evans 
had resolved to do. His interpreter was the only Christian 
among his relatives. The rest of them were wild pagans with 
bad records. Life for life was their motto, and many had been 
their deeds of cruelty and bloodshed in seeking that revenge 
which occupies so large a place in the savage Indian's heart. 
They lived several hundred miles away, and Mr. Evans resolved 
to go and surrender himself to them, tell them what he had done, 
and take all the consequences. Many friends, knowing how 
quick the Indian is to act when aroused by the news of the death 
of a relative — for often before he hears all the circumstances 
does he strike the fatal blow — urged him not to go himself, but 
to send a mediator. 

To this suggestion he turned a deaf ear, and, having made his 
will and left all instructions as to the work if he should never 
return, and bidden farewell to his stricken family, who never 
expected to see him alive again, he started off on his strange 
and perilous journey. 

Beaching the distant village, he walked into the tent of the 
parents of his interpreter, and told them that his heart was 
broken, and why. Angry words were uttered, and tomahawks 
and guns were freely handled, while he described the tragic scene. 
Eeeling so utterly miserable that he little cared whether they 
killed him or let him live, there he sat down on the ground in 
their midst, and awaited their decision. Some of the hot-headed 
spirits were for killing him at once ; but wiser counsels prevailed, 
and it was decided that he must be adopted into the family from 
which he had shot the son, and be all to them, as far as possible, 
that their son had been. This had been a good deal. Becoming 
a Christian had made him kind and loving, and so all that he 
could spare of his wages, earned while interpreting for Mr. Evans, 
had been faithfully sent to his parents. The ceremony of adop- 
tion lasted several days. Mr. Evans assumed as his Indian name 
that of this family, and a good son indeed they found in him. 

When he left to return to his Mission they kissed him, and 



JAMES EVANS' CLOSING YEARS. 147 

acted towards him with as much affection as such people can 
show. Many were the gifts which were sent them by their 
adopted son, who took good care of them as long as he lived. 

But while this difficulty was thus tided over, the memory of it 
never faded away from Mr. Evans. He was never the same 
man after. Yet he did not allow it to deter him from the most 
vigorous prosecution of his work : indeed, it seemed to his people 
as though he tried to bury his sorrow in incessant toil, and labours 
so abundant, that but few even of the Indians " in journeyings 
oft " could equal him. 

To aid the further prosecution of his labours, and to excite 
jjreater interest in the well-being of the Red Indians of British 
North America, Mr. Evans went to England to speak about his 
work and its needs. His story of marvellous incidents and varied 
experiences in this land of which so little was known, pi'oduced 
a deep impression, and great crowds came out to hear him, and 
insisted on his continuing at great length his wonderful descrip- 
tions of travelling by canoe and dog-train, and the longing desire 
there was in the hearts of the Indians for the Gospel. 

On November 23rd, 1846, after having spoken at Keelby in 
Lincolnshire, he returned with his wife, who was in every respect 
a devoted helpmate for such a work, to the home of the gentleman 
and lady with whom they were stopping. While chatting on 
various subjects, Mrs. Evans turned to her husband, who was com- 
fortably seated in a large arm-chair, and said, " My dear, I have 
had such a strange presentiment — that we shall never see Norway 
House and our faithful Indians again." He turned to her and 
said, with something of his old enthusiasm, " Why should that 
thought trouble you, my dear ? Heaven is just as near from 
England as from America." 

The two ladies said, '' Good night ! " and retired, leaving Mr. 
Evans and the gentleman of the house to chat together a little 
longer. Shortly after the gentleman said something to Mr. 
Evans, and, receiving no answer, he turned from the fire and 
looked at him. At first he thought he had fallen asleep, but this 
was only for an instant. Springing up and going to him, he 
found that the immortal spirit had so quietly and gently flitted 



148 



BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 



away, that there had not been the slightest sob or cry. The noble 
Indian Missionary was dead. The eloquent tongue was hushed 
for ever. For his return hundreds of anxious weeping Indians 

in those northern 
CREE SYLLABIC ALPHABET. ^^^ ^^^Id long 

and wait, but wait 
in vain. He had 
been conveyed by 
angel bands to 
that innumerable 
company of re- 
deemed, blood- 
washed saints 
around the throne 
of God, which 
even then had 
received many 
happy converted 
Indians, who, 
brought to God 
by his instru- 
mentahty, had 
finished their 
course with joy, 
and before him 
had entered in 
through the gates 
into the city, and 
were there to wel- 
come him. 

Hundreds, since 
then, of his spiri- 
tual children 
have had the 



INITIALS. 




SYLLABLES. 




1 

FINALS. 




a 


e o 


a 


r 


a 


V 


A 


<3 


« o\y 


wa 


V- 


A. [>• 


<!. 


X Christ 


pa 


V 


A > 


< 


•P 


ta 


u 


n D 


C 


' t 


ka 


q 


p d 


b 


^ k 


cha 


n 


r J 


L 


- h 


ma 


n 


r J 


L 


c m 


na 


-D 


O" Si 


Q. 


3 n 


sa 


S 


t' ? 


K 


" s 


ya 


^ 


1^ ^ 


^ 


I r I 
t 1 



The dot over any syllable lengthens the vowel sound. 



"abundant entrance ministered unto" them, and they have 
joined him in that rapidly increasing throng. And although 
many years have passed away since he preached to them 



TBI] LORD'S PRAYER IN SYLLABIC, 



149 



his last sermon, at many a camp-fire, and in many a wigwam, 
still linger old men, and women too, whose eyes glisten and 
then become bedimmed with tears as they think of him who 
so Jong ago went on before. But while they weep, they also 
rejoice that that 
salvation, which, 
as the result of 
his preaching, 
they accepted, is 
still their solace 
and their joy, 
and, clinging to 
it and its great 
Author, they shall 
by -and -by meet 
their Missionary 
and loved ones 
who have finished 
their course and 
gained the eter- 
nal shores. 

On the opposite 
page are the Syl- 
labic Characters, 
as invented by Mr. 
Evans j and on this 
we give the Lord's 
Prayer in Cree, as 
printed in them. 

Perhaps the 
following expla- 
nations will help 
the student who 
may have a wish to master this wonderful invention. 

In the Alphabet the first line of characters, the equilateral 
triangle in four positions, reads as follows, a e oo ah. 

The addition of the little dot, as seen in the second line, adds 



THE LORD'S PRAYER. 

PCP'"Ur^"(:b-^ PA-"[>A-^; 

P)UclA-A-^ P(:A-[>r"P<f^o; 
VAUr^"CL CA-A"P^ OC O'P 
bAf^ A"P^ P.-^d". 

Fr^cL^ <]_o"" bPf^b' S 0"P 

VbA-i^ Af^'"qr^"C 
CJA-6-CLCL, q Af' Vb 
f^"CJ bLPXdA-S^^; 

<prm"<oLA-(L^ bLb-e: 

P4^ P)UcLA-A-^ To. 
/'bnr^A•^ To. P"Lr^A-A-5, 
bPq, Fa. bPS- V~l\ 



o-LP) 



) 



150 BY CAKOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

to any character after which it is placed the sound of w. So 
this second line reads wa, we, woo, wah. 

The following Hnes read thus : pa pe poo pah ; ta te too tah ; 
ka ke koo kah ; cha che choo chah ; ma mee moo mah ; na ne 
noo nah ; sa se soo sah ; ya ye yoo yah. 

With a little patience the Lord's Prayer can be read even 
without a teacher. 

I have gone to a pagan band far away in the northern wilder- 
ness, and after they have become willing to receive the truth, 
I have commenced to teach them to read the Word of God. Very 
limited indeed were our appliances, for we were hundreds of 
miles from the nearest school house. But from the camp-fire, 
where we had cooked our bear's meat or beaver, I would take a 
burnt stick, and with it make these Syllabic Characters on the 
side of a rock, and then patiently repeat them over and over 
again with my school of often three generations of Indians 
together, until they had some idea of them. Then I ^vould give 
them the copies of the Bible I had brought, and at the first verse 
of Genesis we would begin. It paid for the hardships of the trip 
a thousandfold to see the looks of joy and delight on their faces 
as they themselves were able to read that wonderful verse. 




CHAPTER XIII. 



SOWING AND REAPING — BEAUTIFUL INCIDENT — " HKLP ME TO BE A 
CHRISTIAN ! " — THIRTY YEARS BETWEEN THE SOWING AND THE REAP- 
ING — SORROWING, YET STUBBORN, INDIANS INDUCED TO YIELD BY 
THE EXPRESSION, *' I KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE I " 









HILE in our every- day missionary 
life there were dark hours, and 
times when our faith was severely 
tried, there was, on the other hand, 
much to encourage us to persevere 
in the blessed work among these 
Cree Indians. 

An incident that oc- 
curred to us brought 
up very forcibly to our 
minds the couplet : 

* Whate'er may die and be 
forgot, 
Work done for God, it 
dieth not." 

I was sitting, one pleasant day in June, in my study at Norway 
House, absorbed in my work, when I was startled by a loud 
" Ahem ! " behind me. I quickly sprang up, and, turning round, 




162 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

discovered that the man who had thus suddenly interrupted me 
in my thoughts was a big, stalwart Indian. He had come into 
the room in that catlike way in which nearly all of the Indians 
move. Their moccasined feet make no sound, and so it is quite 
possible for even scores of them to come into the house unheard. 
Then, as Indians have a great dislike to knocking, they generally 
omit it altogether, and unceremoniously enter, as this man had 
done, and as quietly as possible. 

My first glance at him told me that he was an entire stranger, 
although I had by this time become acquainted with some 
hundreds of the natives. 1 shook hands with him and said a few 
commonplace things to him, to which I thought he paid but little 
heed. 

I pointed to a chair, and asked him to be seated ; but, instead 
of doing so, he came up close to me and said with great earnest- 
ness : " Missionary, will you help me to be a Christian 1 ** 

Surprised and pleased by this abrupt question, I replied, 
" Certainly I will ; that is my business here." 

" Will you help my wife and children also to become Christians ? " 
he added with equal emphasis. 

" Of course I will," I answered again. " It was for just such 
work as that my good wife and I came from our far-away home 
to live in this land." 

Naturally I had already become very much interested in this 
big, bronzed Indian ; and so I said to him, " Tell me who you are, 
and from what place you have come." 

I made him sit down before me, and he told me the following 
remarkable story. I wish I could put into the narrative his 
pathos and his dramatic action. He did not keep his seat very 
long after he began talking, but moved around, and at times was 
very much excited. He said, — 

" Many years ago, when I was a little boy, I was kindly cared 
for by the first Missionary, Mr. Evans. I was a poor orphan. 
My father and mother had died, leaving none to care for me; 
so the good Missionary took me to his own house and was very 
kind to me. 'Tis true I had some relatives, but they were not 
Christians, and so there was not much love in their hearts towards 



''HELP ME TO BE A CHRISTIAN." 153 

a poor orphan boy. So Mr. Evans took me to his house, and was 
very kind to me. He gave me clothes and food, and a home. 
He taught me to read the new letters he had made for our people, 
and told me much about the Great Spirit and His Son Jesus. 
He taught me and other children to pray to God, and he often 
talked to us about Him, and how kind and good He was. He 
kept me with him two or three years, and I was very well off 
indeed in having such a home and such a friend, if I had only 
known it. 

" One summer, among the many Indians who came to trade 
their furs at the Company's store, was one family who lived very 
far away. They seemed to take a liking to me, and often would 
talk to me. They had no little boy, they said, in their wigwam, 
and they told me a lot of foolish stuff about how much happier I 
would be, if I lived with them, than I was here, where I had to 
obey the white man. Like the foolish child that I was, I listened 
to this nonsense, and one night, when they had got everything 
ready to start, I slipped quietly out of the house and joined them. 
We paddled hard most of th« night, for we felt that we had done 
wrong, and did not know but we should be followed. 

" After travelling many days we reached their hunting 
grounds and wigwams. I did not find it as pleasant as they 
had told me it would be. Often they were very cruel to me, 
and sometimes we did not have much to eat. But I dared not 
run away, for there was no place to which I could go, except 
to other wicked Indians; and they would only make things 
worse. They were all very bad Indians, and very much afraid 
of the medicine men. All the worship they did was to the bad 
spirit. They were afraid of him, and so they worshipped him, 
so that he might not do them much harm. I became as bad 
as any of them. I tried to forget all that the good Missionary- 
had told me. I tried to wipe all his teachings and prayers from 
my memory. All he had told me about the Good Spirit and His 
Son I tried to forget. 

" I grew up to be a man. I had become a wicked pagan ; but 
1 was a good hunter, and one of the men sold me one of his 
daughters to be my wife. We have quite a family. Because 



164 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

I had seen, when I was a little boy, how Christian Indian men 
treat the women better than the pagan Indians treat theirs, 
I treated my wife and children well. I was never cruel to them. 
I love my wife and children. 

" Last winter, you remember, the snow was very deep. I 
had taken my family and gone out into the region of deer and 
other animals, and there had made my hunting lodge for the 
winter. There we set our traps for the fur-bearing animals. 
We took a good many of the smaller animals that have got 
furs, but the larger ones, that are good for food, were very few. 
We had a hard time, as food was very scarce. I could not find 
any deer to shoot, and we had come far from the great lakes 
and rivers, and so had no fish. 

" At length it seemed as though we must starve. I tried 
hard to get something, but I seemed to fail every time. Some- 
times, when I did manage to get within range of the moose or 
reindeer, and I fired, my gun, which is only a flintlock, would 
only flash the powder in the pan, and so the charge would not 
go off. The noise, however, had so frightened the deer that 
he had rushed away before I could get ready to fire again. 

" At length it got so bad with us that I became completely 
discouraged, and I said, * I will only try once more ; and if I do 
not succeed in shooting a deer, I will shoot myself.' So I took 
up my gun and hurried into the forest away from my half-starved 
family. I cautiously tramped along on my snowshoes all the 
first day, and did not see even a track. I made a little 
camp and lay down cold and hungry. I hunted all the next 
day and only got a rabbit. This I ate in the little camp 
I made the second night in the snow. On the third day I 
hunted until about noon. Then feeling very weak and hungry, 
I got so discouraged that I said, as I sat down on a log covered 
with snow, * I will die here. I am weak with hunger, I can 
go no further.' I was cross and angry, and I said, as I talked 
to myself, 'No use trying any more.' Then I loaded my gun 
with a heavy charge of powder and two bullets, and, drawing 
back the trigger, my plan was to put the muzzle of the gun 
against the side of my head, and then press on the trigger with 



THE GOOD SPIRirS SUCCESSFUL CALL, 155 

my big toe, which you know moves easily in the moccasin. Just 
as I was getting ready thus to kill myself, something seemed to 
speak to me, ' WilHam ! ' I pushed the gun away, for I was 
frightened. I looked all around, but could not see anybody. 
Then I found that the voice was in me, and it began to talk to 
me out of my heart; and as I listened it seemed to say, 
'William, do you not remember what the Missionary told you 
long ago about the Great Spirit? He said He was kind and 
forgiving, and that even if we did wander far away from Him, 
if we became sorry and would come back, He would forgive. Do 
you not remember, William, he said that if we ever got into 
great trouble, the Great Spirit was the best Friend to Whom 
to go to help us out ? You are in great trouble, WilUam. Don't 
you think you had better come back to Him ? ' 

" But I trembled and hesitated, for I was ashamed to come. 
I thought over my life, how I had run away from the kind 
Missionary who had taken me, a poor orphan boy, into his home, 
and fed and clothed me, and taught me so much about the true 
way. Then I remembered so well how I had tried to wipe out 
from my memory all I had learned about the Great Spirit and 
His Son, and the good Book. I had denied to the pagan people 
that I knew anything about the white man's religion. I had 
been very bad, and had got very far away ; how could I come 
back? Still all the answer I got was, 'You had better come 
back.* 

"There I sat and trembled, and I felt I was too mean to 
come back. But all the answer I got was, * It is meaner to stay 
away, if what the Missionary said is true.' While I was hesitat- 
ing what to do, and all trembling in the cold, I seemed to hear 
my wife and children in the wigwam far away crying for food. 
This decided me. So I turned round, and kneeled down in the 
snow by the log, and began to pray. I hardly know what I said, 
but I do remember I asked the Great Spirit to forgive the poor 
Indian who had got so far away from Him, and had been so 
wicked, and had tried to wipe Him out of his memory. I told 
Him I was sorry, and wanted to do better; and there in the 
snow I promised, if He would forgive and help me in my trouble, 



156 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

and give something for my wife and children to eat, I would, just 
as soon as the snow and ice left the rivers and lakes, go and find 
the Missionary, and ask him to help me to be a Christian. 

" While I prayed I felt better ; I seemed to feel in my heart 
that help was coming. I got up from my knees, and it seemed 
as though that prayer had strengthened me like food. I forgot 
I was cold and hungry. I took up my gun with a glad heart, 
and away I started; and I had not gone far before a large 
leindeer came dashing along. I fired and killed him. I was 
very glad. I quickly skinned him, and I soon made a fire and 
cooked some of the meat. Then I pulled down a small tree, and 
fastened part of the meat into the top of it, and let it swing up 
again, so as to keep it from the wolves and wolverines. Then I 
took the rest on my back and hurried home to my hungry wife 
and children. Soon after I went back for the rest of the venison, 
and found it all right. 

" Since that hour we have always had something. I have 
hunted hard, and have had success. None of us have been 
hungry since. The Great Spirit has been all that the Missionary 
said He would be to us. He has cared for us, and given us all 
that we have needed. 

" I have not forgotten my promise made while kneeling in the 
snow beside the log in the woods. The snow has gone, and the 
ice has left the lakes and rivers. I have launched my canoe, 
and have come with my wife and children to ask you to help us 
to be Christians." 

We were very much pleased to hear such a wonderful 
experience, which was thus leading him back to God ; and we 
told him so. When we learned that all this time he had been 
talking his wife and children were patiently sitting in the 
canoe outside at the shore, we hurried out with him and brought 
them into the Mission House. 

Mrs. Young, and one or two others, attracted by William's 
earnest words, had come into my study, and had heard most of 
his story, and of course were also deeply interested. Out of our 
scant supplies we gave the whole family a good hearty meal, and 
we both did what we could by words and actions to make them 



" WHERE ARE OUR CHILDREN?'' 157 

feel that we were their friends, and would do all we could to help 
them to be Christians. We were delighted to find that since 
that memorable day when at the snow-covered log in the forest 
William had bowed in prayer, he had been diligent in teaching 
his family all that he could remember of the blessed truths of 
the Gospel. They had gladly received it and were eager for 
more. 

I called together some of the head men of the village, and told 
them the story of this family, and what William had said about 
his early life. A few of the older people remembered the cir- 
cumstance of his adoption by Mr. Evans after the death of his 
parents, whom they remembered well. Happy Christians them- 
selves, and anxious that others should enjoy the same blessedness, 
they rejoiced at William's return, and especially with such a 
desire in his heart. So they at once gave the exile a place among 
themselves, and some needed help. Thorough and genuine were 
the changes wrought in the hearts of that family by Divine grace, 
and they have remained firm and true. In their house was a 
family altar, and from the church services they were never absent, 
unless far off in distant hunting grounds. 

Various were the arguments which the Good Spirit gave us to 
use in persuading men and women to be reconciled to God. Here 
is a beautiful illustration : — 

"Where are our Children?" 

On the banks of a wild river, about sixty miles from Beaver 
Lake, I visited a band of pagan Indians, who seemed determined 
to resist every appeal or entreaty I could make to induce them 
to listen to my words. They were so dead and indifferent that I 
was for a time quite disheartened. The journey to reach them 
had taken about eight days fiom home through the dreary 
wilderness, where we had not met a single human being. My 
two faithful canoemen and I had suffered much from the character 
of the route, and the absence of game, which had caused us more 
than once to wrap ourselves up in our blankets and lie down 
supperless upon the granite rocks and try to sleep. The rain had 
fallen upon us so persistently that for days the water had been 
12 



158 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

dripping from us, and we had longed for the sunshine that we 
might get dry again. 

We had met with some strange adventures, and I had had 
another opportunity for observing the inteUigence and shrewdness 
of my men, and their quickness in arriving at right conckisions 
from very little data. Many think of the Indians as savages and 
uncivilised, yet in some respects they are highly educated, and 
are gifted with a quickness of perception not excelled by any 
other people in the world. We had the following illustration of 
it on this trip. 

As most of the Indians had gone away in the brigades to York 
Factory, to carry down the furs and to freight up the goods for 
the next winter's trade, I could not find any canoemen who were 
acquainted with the route to the pagan band which I wished to 
visit. The best I could do was to secure the services of a man as 
a guide who had only been as far as Beaver Lake. He was 
willing to go and run the risk of finding the Indian band, if possible, 
although so far beyond the most northern point he had ever gone 
before. As I could do no better I hired him and another Indian, 
and away we went. 

After several days of hard work — for the portages around the 
falls and rapids were many, and several times we had to wade 
through muskegs or morasses up to our knees for miles together, 
carrying all our load on our heads or backs — we at length 
reached Beaver Lake. Here we camped for the night and talked 
over our future movements. We had come two hundred and 
forty miles through these northern wilds, and yet had about sixty 
miles to go ere we expected to see human beings, and were all 
absolutely ignorant of the direction in which to go. 

We spent the night on the shore of the lake, and slept comfort- 
ably on the smooth rocks. Early the next morning we began to 
look out for signs to guide us on our way. There were several 
high hills in the vicinity, and it was decided that we should each 
ascend one of these, and see if from these elevated positions the 
ciu*ling smoke from some distant Indian camp-fire, or other signs 
of human beings, could be observed. 

Seizing my rifle, I started off to ascend the high hill which had 



INDIANS' MARVELLOUS INTELLIGENCE. 159 

been assigned me, while my Indians went off in other directions. 
This hill was perhaps half a mile from our camp-fire, and I was 
soon at its foot, ready to push my way up through the tangled 
underbrush that grew so densely on its sides. To my surprise 
I came almost suddenly upon a creek of rare crystal beauty, on 
the banks of which were many impressions of hoofs, large and 
small, as though a herd of cattle had there been drinking. 
Thoughtlessly, for I seemed to have forgotten where we were, I 
came to the conclusion that as the herd of cattle had there 
quenched their thirst, they and their owner must be near. So I 
hurried back to the camp, and signalled to the men to return, 
and told them what I had seen. There was an amused look on 
their faces, but they were very polite and courteous men, and so 
they accompanied me to the creek, where, with a good deal of 
pride, I pointed out to them the footprints of cattle, and stated 
that I thought that they and their owners could not be far off. 
They listened to me patiently, and then made me feel extremely 
foolish by uttering the word " Moose." I had mistaken the 
footprints of a herd of moose for a drove of cattle, much to their 
quiet amusement. 

We looked around for a time, and, getting no clue, we 
embarked in our canoe, and started to explore the difierent 
streams that flowed into or out of this picturesque lake. After 
several hours of unsuccessful work we entered into the mouth of 
quite a fine river, and began paddling up it, keeping close to one 
of its sandy shores. Suddenly one of my Indians sprang up in 
the canoe, and began carefully examining some small tracks on 
the shore. A few hasty words were uttered by the men, and 
then we landed. 

They closely inspected these little footprints, and then ex- 
claimed, " We have got it now, Missionary; we can take you soon 
to the Indians ! " 

" W^hat have you discovered ? " I said. " I see nothing to tell 
me where the Indians are." 

" We see it very plain," was the reply. " You sent word that 
you were coming to meet them this moon. They have been 
scattered hunting, but are gathering at the place appointed, and 



160 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

a canoe of them went up this river yesterday, and the dog ran 
along the shore, and these are his tracks." 

I examined these impressions in the sand, and said, " The 
country is full of wild animals; these may be the tracks of a 
Xvolf or wolverine or some other beast." 

They only laughed at me, and said, "We can see a great differ- 
ence between these tracks and those made by the wild animals." 

Our canoe was soon afloat again, and, using our paddles 
vigorously, we sped rapidly along the river. With no other clue 
than those little footprints in the sand my men confidently 
pushed along. After paddling for about twenty miles we came 
to the camp-fire, still smouldering, where the Indians had slept 
the night before. Here we cooked our dinner, and then hurried 
on, still guided by the little tracks along the shore. Towards 
evening we reached the encampment, just as my canoemen had 
intimated we should. 

The welcome we received was not very cordial. The Indians 
were soured and saddened by having lost many of their number, 
principally children, by scarlet fever, which for the first time had 
visited their country, and which had been undoubtedly brought 
into their land by some free-traders the year before. With the 
exception of an old conjurer or two, none openly opposed me, but 
the suUen apathy of the people made it very discouraging work to 
try to preach or teach. However, we did the best we could, and 
were resolved that having come so far, and suffered so many 
hardships to reach them, we would faithf ally deliver the message, 
and leave the results to Him Who had permitted us to be the 
first who had ever visited that land to tell the story of redeeming 
love. 

One cold, rainy day a large number of us were crowded into the 
largest wigwam for a talk about the truths in the great Book. 
My two faithful Christian companions aided me all they could 
by giving personal testimony to the blessedness of this great 
salvation. But all seemed in vain. There the people sat and 
smoked in sullen indifierence. When questioned as to their 
wishes and determinations, all I could get from them was, " As 
our fathers lived and died, so will we." 



ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND, 161 

Tired out and sad of heart, I sat down in quiet communion 
with the Blessed Spirit, and breathed up a prayer for guidance 
and help in this hour of sore perplexity. In my extremity the 
needed assistance came so consciously that I almost exulted in 
the assurance of coming victory. Springing up, I shouted out, 
" I know where all your children are, who are not among the 
living ! I know, yes, I do know most certainly where all the 
children are, whom Death has taken in his cold grasp from 
among us, the children of the good and of the bad, of the whites 
and of the Indians, I know where all the children are." 

Great indeed was the excitement among them. Some of them 
had had their faces well shrouded in their blankets as they sat 
like upright mummies in the crowded wigwam. But when I 
uttered these words, they quickly uncovered their faces, and 
manifested the most intense interest. Seeing that I had at 
length got their attention, I went on with my words : " Yes, I 
know where all the children are. They have gone from your 
camp-fires and wigwams. The hammocks are empty, and the 
little bows and arrows He idle. Many of your hearts are sad, as 
you mourn for those little ones whose voices you hear not, and 
who come not at your call. I am so glad that the Great Spirit 
gives me authority to tell you that you may meet your children 
again, and be happy with them for ever. But you must listen 
to His words, which I bring to you from His great Book, and 
give Him your hearts, and love and serve Him. There is only 
one way to that beautiful land, where Jesus, the Son of the 
Great Spirit, has gone, and into which He takes all the children 
who have died ; and now that you have heard His message and 
seen His Book, you too must come this way, if you would be 
happy and there enter in." 

While I was thus speaking, a big, stalwart man from the other 
side of the tent sprang up, and rushed towards me. Beating on 
his breast, he said, " Missionary, my heart is empty, and I mourn 
much, for none of my children are left among the hving ; very 
lonely is my wigwam. I long to see my children again, and to 
clasp them in my arms. Tell me. Missionary, what must I do 
to please the Great Spirit, that I may get to that beautiful land. 



162 BT CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

that I may meet my children again ? " Then he sank at my feet 
Tipon the ground, his eyes suffused with tears, and was quickly 
joined by others, who, like him, were broken down with grief, 
and were anxious now for religious instruction. 

To the blessed Book we went, and after reading what Jesus 
had said about little children, and giving them some glimpses of 
His great love for them, we told them " the old, old story," as 
simply and lovingly as we could. There was no more scoffing or 
indifference. Every word was heard and pondered over, and 
from that hour a blessed work began, which resulted in the great 
majority of them deciding to give their hearts to God ; and they 
have bfpu true to their vows 




CHAPTER XIY. 

ON THE TRAIL TO SANDY BAR — SLEEPING ON THE ICE — THIEVISH 
ESQUIMAUX DOGS — NARROW ESCAPE OF JACK — JOYOUS WELCOME — 
SOCIETY FORMED — BENJAMIN CAMERON, ONCE A CANNIBAL, NOW A 
LAY HELPER — PLUM-PUDDING — A STRIKING INSTANCE OF HONESTY. 



IN December, 1877, I made a journey to the Indians living at 
Sandy Bar. As there were some experiences quite different 
from those of other trips, they shall here be recorded. 

Sandy Bar, or White Mud, as some call it, is over a hundred 
miles south of Beren's River, where we then resided. We made 
the usual preparations for our journey, getting sleds loaded vsdth 
supplies for ourselves and fish for our dogs, with all the cooking 
arrangements necessary for a month's absence from home. 

As the people among whom we were going were poor, we ever 
felt that, Paul-like, for the furtherance of the Gospel, the wisest 
course among those bands who had not fully accepted salvation 
was to keep ourselves as far as possible from being burdensome 
unto them. So my good wife cooked a generous supply of meat 
and buns, made as rich with fat as possible Fortunate indeed 
were we in having supplies sufficient for this to be done. It was 
not always so. At this very Mission, all we had one morning for 
breakfast was a hind-quarter of a wild cat ! 

All our preparations were completed, and we were ready to 
start at one o'clock in the morning. To our great regret a 
fierce storm arose, and so we were obliged to wait until the day 
dawned, ere we could harness our dogs and venture out. When 
we had gone about twenty miles, the storm swept with such 
power over the great Lake Winnipeg, driving the recently fallen 



164 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

snow before it, with such a stinging, blinding effect, that we were 
forced to give up the struggle, and run into the forest and 
camp. 

We cleared away the snow from a space about eight feet 
square. At one side of this we built up our fire, and over the 
rest of the cleared space we spread some evergreen boughs, on 
which we placed our beds. We unharnessed our dogs, and thawed 
out for them some frozen fish. As this was one of my short trips, 
I had with me but two dog-trains and two good Indians. We 
melted snow in our kettles, and made tea, and cooked some meat. 
This, with the bread, of which we were on this trip the happy 
possessors, constituted our meals. About sundown we had prayers, 
and then, as we had been up most of the previous night, we 
wrapped ourselves in our robes and blankets, and went to sleep 
to the lullaby of the howling tempest. 

About ten o'clock that night I woke up, and, uncovering my 
head, found that the storm had ceased. I sprang up and kindled 
the fire, but my fingers ached and my body shivered ere I suc- 
ceeded in getting it to blaze brightly. I filled the tea-kettle with 
snow, and while it was melting I called up my two travelling 
companions, and also a couple of young natives, who, with their 
dog-trains, had joined us. The Indians can tell with marvellous 
accuracy the hour of the night by the position of the Great Bear 
in the heavens. This is their night clock. I saw by their 
puzzled looks, as they gazed at the stars, that they wanted to 
tell me I had made a great mistake, if I thought it was near 
morning. But I did not give them the opportunity, and only 
hurried up the breakfast. After prayers we harnessed our dogs, 
tied up our loads of bedding, food, kettles, and other things ; and 
then, throwing the boughs on which we had slept on the fire, by 
the light which it afforded us, we wended our way out through 
the forest gloom to the frozen lake. 

Taking the lead with my own splendid dogs, we travelled at 
such a rate that, ere the sun rose up to cheer us, over forty miles 
of Winnipeg's icy expanse lay between us and the snowy bed 
where we had sought shelter and slept during the raging storm. 
After stopping at Dog's Head, where were a few Indians, under 



MISERABLE CAMP ON THE ICE. 165 

the eccentric chief, Thickfoot, onward we travelled, crossing the 
lake to what is called Bull's Head, where we camped for the 
night. The face of the cliff is here so steep that we could not 
get our heavy loads up into the forest above, so we were obliged 
to make our fire and bed in the snowdrift at the base of the cliff. 
It was a poor place indeed. The snow, from the constant drifting 
in from the lake, was very deep. There was no shelter or screen 
from the fierce cold wind, which, changing during the night, 
blew upon us. We tried to build up the fire, but, owing to our 
peculiar position, could not change it. In the woods, at our 
camps, we build the fire where the smoke will be driven from us. 
If the wind changes, we change our fires. Here at the base 
of this cliff we could do nothing of the kind; the result was, 
we were either shivering in the bitter cold, or blinded by the 
smoke. 

While in this uncomfortable plight, and trying to arrange 
our camp beds on the snow, for we could not get any balsam 
boughs here to put under us, we were joined by several wild 
Indians, who, coming down the lake, saw our camp-fire. They 
had a number of thin, wild, wolfish, half-starved Esquimaux dogs 
with them. They made a great fuss over me, which here meant 
so much tea and food. I treated them kindly, and, fearing for 
our supplies, and even our dog harness, and the other things for 
which the terrible Esquimaux dog has such an appetite, I politely 
informed them that I thought they would be more comfortable 
if they travelled on a little further. This hint was met with 
loud protestations that they could not, under any circumstances, 
think of denying themselves the pleasure of at least stopping one 
night in the camp of the Missionary, about whom they had heard 
so much as the great friend of the Indian. 

Of course I could not go back on my record, or resist such 
diplomacy ; but I saw trouble ahead, and I was not disappointed. 
In order to save something, I gave to their wolfish dogs all the 
fish I had, which was sufficient for my eight for several days. 
These the Esquimaux speedily devoured. I made the men bring 
the dog harness into the camp, and with the sleds, to save the 
straps and lashings, they built a little barricade against the wind. 



166 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

In addition to the food supplies for the trip, I had a bag of 
meat, and another of buns, for my use when I should reach the 
village, where I was going to preach and to teach. I gathered 
a pile of clubs, which I cut from the driftwood on the shore, from 
which we had also obtained that for our fire. Then, putting the 
bag of meat, which was frozen hard, under my pillow, and giving 
the bag of buns to one of my Indians, with orders to guard it 
carefully, I lay down and tried to go to sleep. Yain effort 
indeed was it for a long time. No sooner were we down than 
in upon us swarmed the dogs. They fought for the honour of 
cleaning, in dog fashion, our meat kettle, and then began seeking 
for something more. Over us they walked, and soon, by their 
gathering around my head, I knew they had scented the meat. 
Up I sprang, and, vigorously using my clubs, a number of which 
I sent among them, I soon drove them out into the darkness of 
the lake. Then under my robes again I got, but not to sleep. 
In less than ten minutes there was an encore, which was repeated 
several times. At length my supply of clubs gave out. My only 
consolation was that the dogs had received so many of them that 
they acted as though they were ready to cry quits and behave 
themselves. As it looked as though they were settling down to 
rest, I gladly did the same. Yain hope, indeed ! I went to sleep 
very quickly, for I was very weary, but I woke up in the morning 
to find that there was not an ounce of meat left in the bag under 
my head, nor a single bun left in the bag which the Indian had 
orders so carefully to guard. 

Our condition the next morning was not a very pleasant one. 
The outlook was somewhat gloomy. Our camp was in an 
exposed snow-drift. We had no roof over us. The fire was 
a poor one, as the drift-wood with which it was made was wretched 
stuff, giving out more smoke than heat, which, persisting in going 
the wrong way, often filled our eyes with blinding tears. Our 
generous supply of meat, that we so much require in this cold 
climate, and our rich buns, so highly prized, were devoured by 
the dogs which, with the most innocent looks imaginable, sat 
around us in the snow and watched our movements. Fortunately 
one of the Indians had put a few plain biscuits in a small bag, 



JACK'S NARROW ESCAPE. 167 

wLich he was taking, as a great gift, to a friend. These were 
brought out, and with our tea and sugar were all we had, or 
could get, until we were sixty miles further south. No time for 
grumbling, so we prepared ourselves for the race against the 
march of hunger, which we well knew, by some bitter experiences, 
would, after a few hours, rapidly gain upon us. 

After the light breakfast we knelt down in the snow and said 
our prayers, and then hurried oflf. My gallant dogs responded 
to my call upon them so nobly that ere that short wintry day in 
December had fled away, and the lake was shrouded in darkness, 
the flying sparks from the tops of the little cabins of the friendly 
Indians told us we had conquered in the race, although not with- 
out scrae narrow escapes and scars. 

While crossing a long traverse of at least twenty-five miles, 
my largest dog, Jack, went through a crack in the ice up to 
his collar. These ice cracks are dangerous things. The ice, 
which ma} be se^veral feet thick, often bursts open with a loud 
report, making a fissure which may be from a few inches to 
several feet wide. Up this fissure the water rushes until it is 
level with the top. Of course, as tho cold is so intense, it soon 
freezes over, but it is very dangerous for travellers to come along 
soon after the fissure has been made. I have seen the guide 
get in more than once, and have had some very narrow escapes 
myself. On this occasion I was riding on the sled; the two 
foremost dogs of the train got across the thinly frozen ice all 
right, but Jack, who was third, broke though into the cold 
water below. The head dogs kept pulling ahead, and the sled 
dog did his work admirably, and so we saved the noble St. 
Bernard from drowning, and soon got him out. The cold was so 
intense that in a few minutes his glossy black coat was covered 
with a coat of icy mail. He seemed to know the danger he was 
in; and so, the instant I got the sled across the ice crack, 
he started ofi" direct for the distant forest at such a rate that he 
seemed to drag the other dogs as well as myself most of the time 
We were about twelve miles from the shore, but in a little more 
than an hour the land was reached, and as there was abundance 
of dry wood here, a good fire was soon kindled, before which, on 



168 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

a buffalo skin, I placed my ice-covered companion. He turned 
himself around when necessary, and, ere the other sled arrived, 
Jack was himself again. As two of the Indians behind us had 
fallen into this same fissure, we were delayed for some time in 
getting them dry again. 

We boiled our kettle and had some more tea, and then on we 
hurried. I met with a very warm welcome from the people. 
The greater part of them were Indians I had met in other years. 
Many were from Norway House. To this place they had come, 
attracted by the stories of its valuable fisheries and productive 
soil. So rapidly had the Mission at Norway House increased that 
fish and game were beginning to fail. Hence a large number 
emigrated to this and other places. 

To this place they had come late in the summer, and so the 
little houses they had built were small and cold. Then, to make 
matters worse, the fisheries had not proved to be what they had 
been represented. They crowded round me as I drove into their 
village, and told me of their " hungerings oft," and other hard- 
ships. As some sleds were ready to start for Manitoba, I 
hurried into one of the little homes to pencil a note to my 
Chairman, the Rev. George Young, but found it to be almost 
an impossibility, as the four fingers of my right hand were 
frozen. These, and a frozen nose, reminded me for several days 
of that sixty miles' run on short rations. 

I found, in addition to the Christian Indians, quite a number 
of others who had been attracted to this place. I spent eight 
days among them. They had about a dozen little houses, in 
addition to a large number of wigwams. For their supplies 
they were depending on their rabbit snares, and their nets for 
fish, which were obtained in but limited quantities. As my food 
had been stolen from me by the dogs, I had nothing but what 
they gave me ; but of their best they supplied me most cheerfully, 
and so I breakfasted, dined, and supped on rabbit or fish, and 
fared well. 

I preached, as was my custom, three times a day, and kept 
school between the services. I organised a class or society of 
thirty-five members, ten of whom for the first time now decided 



GATHERING INTO THE FOLD. 169 

for Christ, and resolved henceforth to be His loyal followers. It 
was a great joy to be gathering in these decided ones, as the result 
of the seed sown amidst the discouragements of earlier years. I 
was very fortunate in securing a good leader, or spiritual overseer, 
for this little flock in the wilderness. Benjamin Cameron was 
his name. He had had a strange career. He had been a 
cannibal in his day, but Divine Grace had gone down into the 
depths of sin into which he had sunk, and had lifted him out, 
and put his feet upon the Rock, and filled his lips with singing, 
and his heart with praise. He was emphatically " a good man, 
and fuU of the Holy Ghost." 

The hours I spent with the children were very pleasant and 
profitable. I was pleased to hear the elder children read so well, 
and was especially delighted with their knowledge of the Catechism 
in both Cree and English. I distributed a fresh supply of books 
which I had brought them, and also gave to the needy ones 
some warm, comfortable garments sent by loving friends from 
Montreal. 

If the dear friends, -into whose hearts the good desire to send 
these very comfortable garments had been put, could only have 
seen how much misery was relieved, and happiness conferred, 
they would have felt amply rewarded for their gifts. 

In connection with one of the Sunday services I administered the 
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. We had a most solemn and 
impressive yet delightful time. The Loving Saviour seemed very 
near, and fresh vows and covenants were entered into by all, that 
to Him they would be true. 

I spent Christmas among them, and as one of them had 
succeeded in getting some minks in his traps, and for the skins 
had obtained from some passing " free-traders " some flour and 
plums, they got up in honour of my visit a plum-pudding. It 
haunts me yet, and so I will not here describe it. 

As beautiful weather favoured us on our return, we took the 
straight route home, and arrived there in two days, rejoicing that 
the trip, as regarded its spiritual aspects, had been a great 
success. 

One day an Indian came into my house and threw down a 



170 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

fine haunch of venison upon the table. As we were poorly off 
for food, I was very much pleased, and said to him, " What shall 
I give you for this meat ? " 

" Nothing," he replied; " it belongs to you." 

" You must be mistaken," I said. " I never had any dealings 
with you." 

" But I had with you," he answered. " And so this meat is 
yours." 

Being unacquainted with the man, I asked him to tell me who 
he was, and how he made it out that this meat belonged to me. 

Said he, "Did you not go to Nelson River with dogs and 
Indians about two moons ago ? " 

" Yes," I replied, " I did." 

" Well, I was out hunting deer, but I did not have much luck. 
The snow was deep, the deer were very shy, and I had no success. 
One day, when very hungry, for I had only taken a little dried 
rabbit meat with me from my wigwam, I came across your trail, 
and I found where your Indians had made a cache, that is, a big 
bundle of provisions and other things had been tied up in a 
blanket, and then a small tree had been bent down by your men, 
and the bundle fastened on the top, and let spring up again to 
keep it from the wolves. I saw your bundle hanging there, and 
as I was very hungry I thought, 'Now if the kind-hearted 
Missionary only knew the poor Indian hunter was here looking 
at his bundle of food, he would say, " Help yourself; " ' and that was 
what I did. I bent down the tree, and found the large piece of 
pemmican. I cut off a piece big enough to make me a good 
dinner, then I tied up the bundle again, and let it swing up as 
you had it. And now I have brought you this venison in place 
of what I took." 

I was pleased with his honesty, and had in the incident another 
example of the Indian quickness to read much where the white 
man sees nothing. 

The reason why we had made the cache which the Indian had 
discovered was, that we had taken a large quantity of pemmican 
for our food, as the people we were going to see were poor, and we 
did not wish to be a burden to them ; but we had been caught in 



HONEST AND CLEVER. 171 

a terrible storm, and as the snow was very deep, making the 
travelling heavy, we were obliged to lighten our loads as soon as 
possible. So we left a portion, as the Indian has described, on 
the way. 

When we returned to the cache, and my men pulled it down 
and opened the bundle, one of them quickly cried out, " Somebody 
has been at our cache." 

" Nonsense," I replied ; " nobody would disturb it. And then 
there were no tracks around when we reached here to-night." 

Looking at the largest piece of pemmican, the Indians said, 
" Missionary, somebody has taken down our bundle and cut off 
a piece just here. That tj^ere are no tracks, is because there 
have been so many snow-storms lately. All tracks made a few 
days ago are covered up." 

As I knew they were so much quicker along these lines of 
education than white men, I did not argue any more with them. 
The coming of the old hunter with the venison was the proof 
of the cleverness of my men, and also a very honourable act on 
his part. I kept the old man to dinner, and among other things 
I asked him how he knew it was the Missionary's party that 
passed that way. He quickly replied, "By your tracks in the 
snow. Indians' toes turn in when they walk, white men's toes 
turn out." 




CHAPTER XY. 



AN INDIAN LOVEFEAST — MANY WITNESSES — SWEET SONGS OF ZION — THE 
lord's supper — MEMOIR OF WILLIAM MEMOTAS, THE DEVOTED 
CHRISTIAN. 

OUR Lovefeasts and sacramental services were always well 
attended, if it were within the range of possibility for the 
Indians to be present. To come in on Saturday from their 
distant hunting grounds sixty miles away, that they might enjoy 
the services of the Lord's house on His own day, was no unusual 
thing. Then on Monday morning we have seen them again 
strap on their snowshoes, and with glad hearts and renewed zeal 
start off to return to their lonely hunting camps in the distant 
forests. 

They are able to express themselves clearly, and often quite 
eloquently. When their hearts are full of the love of God, and 
they are rejoicing in the blessed assurance of the Divine favour, 
they are willing to speak about it. 

" What they have felt and seen 
With confidence they tell." 

Here are some of their testimonies. These are the living words 
of men and women who were once the slaves of a debasing 
paganism. But on their hearts the blessed Spirit shone, and to 
His pleading voice they responded, and now, happy in the con- 
sciousness that they are the children of God, they love to talk 
about what wonderful things have been done for them and 
wrought in them. Timothy Bear said : 

" It is such a joy to me, that I can tell you of great things 



INDIAN LOVEFEAST. 173 

done for me. Great is the joy I have in my heart to-day. I 
lest in the consciousness that He is my own reconciled Heavenly 
Father, and so I feel it good to be here in the Lord's house, and 
with those that love Him. The good Spirit gives me to see how 
good and kind my Heavenly Father is ; and so I can say that 
the greatest anxiety of my heart and life is to serve God better 
and better as I grow older. To do this I have found out that I 
must have Divine help. But He is my Helper for everything, 
and so I need not fail. So I am encouraged that I shall love 
God more and more, and, with that, I want to love His cause 
and people, and those who have not yet become His people, that 
they may soon do so, more and more. For the conversion of the 
unsaved, let us, who feel that Jesus saves us, pray more earnestly 
than ever, and may God help us to live our religion, that the 
heathen around us may see in our Kves what a wonderful thing 
it is." 

Timothy's burning words produced a deep impression, and 
some one began to sing : 

" Ayume-oo-we-nah," 

*'The praying Spirit breathe." 

Half a dozen were on their feet when the verses were sung, but 
Thomas Walker spoke first. He said : 

" When I first heard the Gospel long winters ago, as brought 
to us by Mr. Evans, I was soon convinced that I was a sinner 
and needed forgiveness. I found I could not of myself get rid 
of my sins, so I believed in Christ, and found that He had power 
to forgive. I was very wretched before I was forgiven. I was 
afraid I should be lost for ever. I mourned and wept before 
God on account of my sins. In the woods alone, I cried in my 
troubles, and was in deep distress. But I heard of the love and 
power, and willingness to save, of this Jesus of the great Book, 
and so I exercised a living faith in Him ; and as I believed, God's 
voice was heard, saying, * My son, I have forgiven your sins ; I 
have blotted them out. Go in peace.' I am sure I was not 
mistaken; I felt filled with peace and joy. I felt that I, Thomas 
Walker, was cleansed from my many sins, and clothed with the 
13 



174 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

garments of salvation. That was a blessed day when the Spirit 
of God shone into my heart and drove out the darkness. Since 
then, my way in Him has been like the sunlight on the waters. 
The more waves, the more sunshine. I am happy in His love 
to-day. I am confident that, because He aids me, I am growing 
in grace. 

*' I rejoice at being spared to come to another celebration of 
the Lord's Supper ; and in view of partaking of the emblems of 
the dying, loving Jesus, I feel that my soul is feeding on Christ, 
the true Bread of Life." 

Earnest yet suppressed words of praise and adoration quietly 
dropped from many lips as Thomas ended. Then dear old Henry 
Budd succeeded in getting a hearing. Henry was Mr. Evans' 
marvellous dog -driver over twenty-five years before the date of 
this blessed lovefeast. He had had many wonderful adventures 
and some narrow escapes. Once, when running ahead on a 
treacherous river, where in places the current was very rapid, 
and consequently the ice was thin, he broke through into the 
current underneath. He quickly caught hold of the edge of the 
ice, but it was so weak it would not hold him up. His only 
comrade could not get very near him as the ice was so bad, and 
so had to run about a mile for a rope. When he returned, so 
intense was the cold that both of Henry's hands, with which he 
had been holding on to the ice, were frozen. He was utterly 
unable to close them on the rope. George shouted to him to 
open his mouth. The rope was then thrown, lasso-like, so skil- 
fully, that the poor half -frozen man seized it in his teeth, and was 
thus dragged out, and rushed off to the nearest wigwam. He 
was literally saved by the " skin of his teeth." 

Thus Henry Budd had, like many others, much for which to 
praise God. He spoke on this occasion as follows : 

" I rejoice in God my Saviour, Who has done such wonderful 
things for me. I feel very happy. I am His child. He is my 
reconciled Father. How can I help being happy 1 

** When I first began to get my poor blind eyes opened, and 
there came to me a desire to seek God, and to obtain salvation 
for my scul, I was troubled on account of my sins. My many 



HENRY BUDD. 175 

transgressions rose up before me like a cloud. I was ignorant, 
and so my mind was full of doubts and fears. Yet with all my 
doubts there was the anxious desire to be saved. But the victory 
came at last. I was enabled to hear enough about the Almighty 
Friend, and so, as I had confidence in ffis power and love, and 
believed in Him, I was at last enabled to rejoice in the know- 
ledge of sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
From those sad doubts and fears I am now happily delivered. 
I feel I love God, and that God loves me. I am growing in 
grace, and in the knowledge of God my Saviour. My hopes are 
brightening all the time. I am getting old, but nob unhappy, 
for I am cheered with the blessed assurance of one day meeting, 
in my Father's house in heaven, with many who are safely there, 
and many more who, like me, will soon enter in. That this may 
be a blessed certainty, I desire to be faithful unto the end, that 
no man take my crown." 

When Henry sat down, before another one could be heard, the 
large congregation were singing : — 

" Pe teh-na-mah-me cha-te yak 
Ke che ne-ka-mo-yak," etc. 

" O for a thousand tongues to smg 
My great Kedeemer's praise." 

The next to get the floor was one of the sweetest, purest Chris- 
tians it was ever my lot to become acquainted with in any land. 
His name was William Memotas. He was a very happy 
Christian. As he was a Local Preacher and a Class Leader, I was 
much in his society, and I can say, as many others have said, 
that William since the day of his conversion was never heard to 
utter an unkind word about any one, or do anything that could 
give the enemies of the Lord Jesus an opportunity to scoff at his 
profession of loving the Lord with all his heart. He was never 
a very strong man physically while we knew him, and so was 
unable to go on the long tripping or hunting expeditions with his 
more vigorous comrades. He suffered much from inward pain, 
but was ever bright and hopeful. When he stood up to add hia 
testimony, the sick, pallid face caused a wave of sympathy to 



i76 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

pass over the audience, but his cheery words quickly lifted the 
cloud, and we seemed to look through the open door into the 
celestial city, into which he was so soon to enter. His obituary, 
which I wrote at the time of his death, is added at the close of 
.this chapter. He said : — 

-'' Por many years I have now been walking in this way, and 
•proving this great salvation. It is a blessed way, and it is 
getting more delightful all the time. Every day on it is a day's 
walk nearer Jesus. It is not like the trails in our country, 
sometimes rocks, and then more often muskegs and quaking bogs; 
but it is the solid rock all the time, and on it we may always be 
sure of our footing, and it leads us up to Him Who is the Rock of 
Ages. I am not now a strong man, as you know I once was. 
This poor weak body is like the old wigwam. It is breaking up. 
As each storm tears fresh rents in the old wigwam, so each 
attack of disease seems to tear me, and bring me nearer the time 
when what is immortal of me shall slip away from the worn body 
into the everlasting brightness of that land where the happy 
people never say, ' I am sick.' I am very glad and happy in the 
service of this Jesus, and will serve Him as long as He lends me 
health. But I do want to go home. I cannot do much more 
here. Our Missionary, Mr. Young, said to me, ' William, don't 
talk so much about leaving us. How can we spare you ? ' I 
thank him for his love and friendship, but there is another 
Friend I am getting such a longing in my heart to see, and that 
is Jesus, my Saviour, my Hedeemer. I am praying for patience, 
but by-and-by I shall be with Him, with Him for evermore. 
There I shall have no pain, and I will praise my Jesus for ever- 
more. So, while waiting, I ask God to be with me here, and to 
let me serve Him in some way every day." 

With suppressed emotion^, for many eyes were full of tears, the 
people sang — 

" Tapwa meyoo ootaskewuk, 
Ispemik ayahchik," etc. 

** There is a land of pure delight, 
Where saints immortal reign." 

William was a sweet singer, and joined heartily with the rest 



SIXTY MILES ON SNOW-SHOES. 177 

in singing several verses of that grand old hymn. We had a 
presentiment that the end was not far off, but we little thought, 
as we looked into his radiant face, and heard his clear scriptural 
testimony, and his longings for rest and heaven, that this was 
to be the last Lovefeast in which our dear brother was to be with 
us. Ere another similar service was held, William Memotas 
had gone sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the 
Lamb. 

James Cochrane, a Class Leader, said, — 

" I have great reason to bless God for the privileges and mercies 
I have had from Him. I am so glad to be with you to-day in 
His house. I try to arrange all my huntings and journeys so as 
to be present at all of these lovefeasts and sacraments. Since 
I decided, many years ago, to give up paganism and become a 
Christian, I have never missed one of these meetings, though 
sometimes I have had to take several days and travel hundreds 
of miles to get here. I only had to travel sixty miles on my 
snow-shoes to be here to-day. It has paid me well to come. I 
rejoice that God has enabled me to be faithful all these years 
since I started in His service. When I first began, I had a great 
many doubts and fears. The way seemed very long ahead of me. 
I felt so weak and so prone to sin. It seemed impossible that 
such a weak, unworthy creature as I could stand true and faith- 
ful ; but trusting in God, and constantly endeavouring to exercise 
a living faith in Christ, I have been kept to this day, and I can 
say I realise a daily growth in grace. I ask God to give me His 
Holy Spirit to help me to follow Christ's example and to keep all 
of God's commandments. May I, too, prove faithful." 

Mary Cook, a very old woman, who has had to endure persecu- 
tion for Christ's sake, spoke next. She said : 

" I am very glad to be here once more. I have many pagan 
relatives who have no feeling of friendship towards me, because I 
am a follower of Jesus. But He is my Friend, so it is all right. 
I have been very sick, and thought that God was going to take 
me home to heaven. That thought made me very happy in my 
sickness. My poor little room often seemed light with the 
presence of my Lord. I love to dwell with God's people. It is 



178 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

my chief joy. I refused to go and live with my relatives in the 
woods, even though I should be better off, because I love the 
house of God, and because I so love to worship with God's 
people." 

Mary Oig said : 

" Yery happy do I feel in my heart to-day. My heart is filled 
with His love. I know I love Him and His people ; and His 
service is to me a great delight. Once, like many others, I was 
in the great darkness, wandering in sin ; but God sought me by 
His Holy Spirit, and convinced me of my lost condition, and 
showed me Himself as my only Hope, and enabled me to rejoice 
in His pardoning mercy through faith in the Atonement. May 
God keep me faithful, that with you I may join around the 
Throne above." 

Thomas Mamanowatum, generally known as " Big Tom," on 
account of his almost gigantic size, was the next to speak. He is 
one of the best of men. I have used him to help me a good deal, 
and have ever found him one of the worthiest and truest assistants. 
His people all love and trust him. He is perhaps the most 
influential Indian in the village. Tom said : 

" I, too, desire to express my gratitude to God for His great 
blessings and mercies to me. I am like David, who said, ' Come, 
all ye who fear the Lord, and I will tell you what He hath done 
for my soul.' He has taken me out of the pit of sin, and set me 
on the rock. So I rejoice, for I have felt and tasted of His love. 
When I think of what He has done for me, and then think of 
what I have been, I feel that I am not worthy even to stand up 
in such a place as this. But He is worthy, and so I must praise 
Him. I have a comfortable assurance that He, my good Father, 
is contented with me. But it is only because the grace of God is 
sufficient to keep me. I am growing in grace, and I desire more 
than ever to glorify God in all I think, or speak, or do. I have 
been helping our Missionary at Beren's River in the good work 
among the people there. I often felt happy while endeavouring 
to point my heathen brethren to Jesus Christ, Who takes away 
the sins of the world. My first consecration was of myself, when 
converted to Christ. My second was of my family to Him. My 



BEAUTIFUL SCRIPTURAL TESTIMONIES. 179 

third is of my class. I am often very happy while trying to lead 
them on in the way to heaven. To-day I renew my vows of 
consecration. I offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, for lie is my 
God and my portion for ever. As He is the Source of Love and 
Light and Safety, I want to be continually drawing nearer to 
Ilim." 

Very appropriate was the hymn which was next sung, — 

" Ke-se-wog-ne-man-toom 
Ke-nah-te-tin," etc., 

" Nearer, my God, to Thee." 

After three verses of this beautiful hymn were sung, we had a 
large number of short testimonies. Some of the people beautifully 
expressed themselves by quoting passages from their Indian 
Bibles. For example, one said : " The joy of the Lord is my 
portion." Another : " The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not 
want." Another : " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it 
doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that, when 
He shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see Him as 
He is." 

Thus delightfully passed away two hours. Perhaps fifty or 
sixty gave their testimonies, or quoted passages of Scripture. 
The speaking was up to the average of a similar gatheriug among 
>vhite people, as these examples we have given would indicate. 
They were faithfully translated by two of our best interpreters, 
and then compared. And yet many of the beautiful Indian 
images are lost in the translation into English. 

The best of all has also to be left out. The Divine power, the 
holy emotions, the shining faces, the atmosphere of heaven, 
cannot be put down on paper. Many of my readers know what 
I mean as thus I write, for they have been in those hallowed 
gatherings where " they that feared the Lord spake often one to 
another." 

Then followed the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. To the 
Christian Indians this service is, as it ever should be, the most 
solemn and impressive in the Church. Our custom was to hold 
four Communion services during the year. In addition, we 



180 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

sometimes gave a dying devoted member this sacrament, if so 
desired. Here there were a few other very important occasions, 
when we celebrated in this way the dying of the Lord Jesus. As, 
for example, when several scores of oiir people were going oflf on 
a dangerous trip in a plague-infected district with but very poor 
prospects of all returning home again. 

William Memotas. 

William Memotas was converted from the darkness of paganism 
to the light of the Gospel soon after the introduction of the glad 
tidings of salvation among the Cree Indians by that most useful 
and godly man, the Rev. James Evans. William's conversion 
was so clear and positive that he never had any doubts about it. 
His progress in the Divine life was marked and intelligent, and 
soon he became a useful and acceptable worker in the Church. 
He was a Class Leader and Local Preacher of great power and 
acceptability. 

He was pre-eminently a happy Christian. His face seemed full 
of sunshine. There was a genial sweetness about him that 
caused his very presence to act as a charm. His coming into 
our Mission home was like the sunshine, in which even our little 
ones basked with great delight. He was an every- day Christian. 
Although I was often in his company, and was thrown in contact 
with him on some occasions calculated to severely test him, yet 
I never heard from him an improper word, or heard of his having 
in any way gone contrary to his Christian profession during the 
thirty years that he had professed to be a follower of the Lord 
Jesus. 

His greatest aim in life seemed to be to get to heaven ; and 
next to that he strove to induce others to follow in the same 
course. 

When some of the Indians were getting excited about their 
lands, and the treaties which were soon to be made with the 
Government, William, in writing to a friend, said : " I care for 
none of these things ; they will all come right. My only desire 
is to love Jesus more and more, so as to see Him by-and-by." 

He was a useful Christian. Possessing a good knowledge of 



WILLIAM ME3I0TAS. 181 

tha roots and herbs of his native forests, and also having had 
some instruction given him in reference to some of the simpler 
medicines of the whites, he was often styled our " village doctor." 
Although seldom remunerated for his services, he was always 
ready to listen to the calls of the afflicted, and, with Heaven*s 
blessing, was instrumental in accomplishing some marvellous 
cures. He believed in using a good deal of prayer with his 
medicines. His skill in dressing and curing gun-shot wounds 
could not be excelled. 

Yet, while doing all he could to cure others, his own health 
was very poor for several years. He suffered frequently from 
violent headaches that caused intense pain. Yet he was never 
heard to murmur or complain, but would say to us, when we 
tried to sympathise with him, " Never mind, by-and-by I shall 
get home, and when I see Jesus I shall have no more pain." 
About nine days before his departure he caught a severe cold 
that settled upon his lungs, which seemed to have been diseased 
for a long time. He had from the beginning a presentiment that 
his sickness was " unto death," and never did a weary toiler 
welcome his bed of rest with greater delight than did William 
the grave. The prospect of getting to heaven seemed so fully to 
absorb his thoughts that he appeared dead to everything earthly. 
In life he had been a most loving and affectionate husband and 
father, but now, with a strong belief in God's promises of protec- 
tion and care over the widow and fatherless, he resigned his family 
into the Lord's hands, and then seemed almost to banish them 
from his thoughts. 

Being very poor on account of his long-continued ill health, 
which had incapacitated him for work, he had, when his severe 
illness began, nothing to eat but fish. We cheerfully supplied 
him with what things our limited means would allow, to alleviate 
his sorrows and poverty. One day, when my beloved Brother 
Semmens and I had visited him, we had prayer and a blessed 
talk with him. As we were leaving him, after giving him some 
tangible evidences of our love. Brother Semmens said, "Now, 
Brother William, can we do anything else for you? Do you 
want anything more ? " The poor sick man turned his radiant 



182 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

face towards us and said, " O no, I want nothing now, but more 
of Christ." 

He often conversed with us about his glorious prospects and 
the joy and happiness he felt as the pearly gates of the Golden 
City seemed to be opening before him. Here are some of his 
dying words whispered either to my beloved colleague or to 
myself. Would that we could portray the scene, or describe the 
happy, shining face of the dying man, lying there on a bed of 
blankets and rabbit skins in his little dwelling ! 

He said, " While my body is getting weaker, my faith is 
getting stronger, and I am very happy in Jesus' love. Very 
glad am I that I responded to Mr. Evans' invitations, and gave 
my heart to Him Who has saved me and kept me so happy in 
His love. I am so glad I was permitted to do some little work 
for Jesus. He used to help me when I tried to talk about His 
love and recommend Him to others. I used to get very happy 
in my own soul when thus working for Him. I am happier now 
than ever before. I am resting in His love." 

Thus would the happy man talk on as long as his strength 
permitted. It was over a blessing to visit him. It wonderfully 
encouraged and strengthened us in our work. One day, as we 
came from one of these blessed visits, Brother Semmens burst out 
in almost ecstatic delight, 

** may I triumph so 
When all my warfare's past I " 

When we administered to him the emblems of the broken body 
and spilt blood of the Redeemer, he was much affected, and 
exclaimed, " My precious Saviour ! I shall soon see Him. ' That 
will be joy for evermore.' " 

Once, when conversing with him, I happened to say, " I hope 
you will not leave us. We want you to remain with us. We 
need you to help us to preach. We need you in the Sunday 
School and in the Prayer Meetings. Your sixty class members 
are full of sorrow at your sickness. They think they cannot 
spare you. Do not be in a hurry to leave us, William. We want 
your presence, your example, your prayers." 



TRIUMPHANT DEATH. 183 

He listened patiently while I talked, and then he looked up at 
me so chidingly, like a weary, home-sick child, and exclaimed, in 
a voice that showed that earth had lost all its charms, *' Why do 
you wish to detain me? You know I want to go home." 

Shortly after, his heart's desire was his in actual posses- 
sion. Triumphantly he went home. While we felt that our 
Mission was much the loser by his departure, we knew it was 
better for him, and an accession to heaven's glorious company of 
one who was worthy to mingle with the white-robed throng 
around the throne of God. 

There is nothing that more roots and grounds us in this 
blessed Gospel, and more stimulates us to labour on even amidst 
hardships and sufferings, than the consistent lives and triumphant 
deaths of our Indian converts. 

Ignorant as many of them are of the non-essentials of our 
religion, yet possessing by the Spirit's influence a vivid knowledge 
of their state by nature, and of the Saviour's love for them, they 
cling to Him with a faith so strong and abiding, that the blessed 
assurance of His favour abides with them as a conscious reality 
through life; and when the end draws near, sustained by His 
presence, even the Valley of the Shadow of Death is entered with 
delight. 

The Missions among the Indians of North America have not 
been failures. The thousands converted from different tribes, 
and now before the throne of God, and the many true and stead- 
fast ones following after, tell us that although many of the 
toilers among them, as they went with the seed, literally went 
forth weeping, yet the harvest has been an abundant one, and 
has more than compensated for the tears and toils of the sowers. 




CHAPTEK XYI. 

VARIED DUTIES — CHRISTIANITY MUST PRECEDE CIVILISATION— ILLUS- 
TRATIONS — EXPERIMENTAL FARMING — PLOUGHING WITH DOGS — 
ABUNDANCE OP FISH — VISITS FROM FAR-OFF INDIANS — SOME COMB 
TO DISTURB— MANY SINCERE INQUIRERS AFTER THE TRUTH — "WHERE 
IS THE MISSIONARY ? " — BEREN'S RIVER MISSION BEGUN — TIMOTHY 
BEAR — PERILS ON THE ICE. 



VERY diversified were our duties among these Indians. Not 
only were there those that in all places are associated with 
ministerial or pastoral work, but there were also many others, 
peculiar to this kind of missionary toil. Following closely on 
the acceptance of the spiritual blessings of the Gospel came the 
desire for temporal progress and development. Christianity must 
ever precede a real and genuine civilisation. To reverse this 
order of proceedings has always resulted in humiliating failure 
among the North American Indians. 

Sir Francis Bond Head, one cf the early Governors of Canada, 
took a great interest in the Indians. He zealously endeavoured 
to improve them, and honestly worked for their advancement. 
He gathered together a large number of them at one of their 
settlements, and held a great council with them. Oxen were 
killed, and flour and tea and tobacco were provided in largo 
quantities. The Indians feasted and smoked, and listened 
attentively to this great man who represented the Queen, and 
who, having also supplied them with food for the great feast, was 
worthy of all attention. 

The Governor told them that the great object of his coming to 
see them, and thus feasting them, was to show his kindness to 
them, and interest in their welfare. Then, with much emphasis 



CHRISTIANITY BEFORE CIVILISATION, 185 

he told them how the game was disappearing, and the fish also 
would soon not be so plentiful, and, unless they settled down and 
cultivated the soil, they would suffer from hunger, and perhaps 
starve to death. He got them to promise that tliey would begin 
this new way of life. As they were feeling very comfortable 
while feasting on his bounties, they were in the humour of 
promising everything he desired. "Very much delighted at their 
docihty, he said he would send them axes to clear more of their 
land, and oxen and ploughs to prepare it for seed ; and when all 
was ready he would send them seed grain. Great were their 
rejoicings at these words, and with stately ceremony the council 
broke up. 

In a few days along came the ploughs, oxen, and axes. It was 
in the pleasant springtime, but instead of going to work and 
ploughing up what land there was cleared in their village, and 
beginning with their axes to get more ready, they held a council 
among themselves. These were their conclusions : " These axes 
are bright and shine like glass. If we use them to cut down 
trees, they will lose their fine appearance. Let us keep them as 
ornaments. These oxen now are fat and good. If we. fasten 
them up to these heavy ploughs, and make them drag them 
through the ground, they will soon get poor and not fit for food. 
Let us make a great feast." So they killed the oxen, and invited 
all of the surrounding Indians to join them, and as long as a 
piece of meat was left the pots were kept boiling. 

Thus ended, just as many other efforts of the kind have ended, 
this effort to civilise the Indians before Christianising them. 

We found that almost in proportion to the genuineness of the 
Indian's acceptance of the Gospel was his desire to improve his 
temporal circumstances. Of course there were some places where 
the Indians could not cultivate the land. "We were four hundred 
miles north of the fertile prairies of the great western part of 
the Dominion of Canada, where perhaps a hundred millions of 
people will yet find happy times. From these wondrously fertile 
regions my Nelson River Indians were at least six hundred miles 
north. As hunters and fishermen these men, and those at Oxford 
Mission, and indeed neaiiy all in those high latitudes, must live. 



186 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

But where there was land to cultivate the Indians had their 
gardens and little fields. 

I carried out with me four potatoes. I did not get them in 
the ground until the 6th of August. Yet in the short season 
left I succeeded in raising a few little ones. These I carefully 
packed in cotton wool and kept safe from the frost. The next 
year I got from them a pailful. The yield the third year was six 
bushels, and the fourth year one hundred and twenty-five bushels ; 
and before I left the Indians were raising thousands of bushels 
from those four potatoes. They had had some before, but there 
had been some neglect, and they had run out. 

One summer I carried out, in a little open boat from Ked 
Eiver, a good Scotch iron beam plough. The next winter, when 
I came in to the District Meeting, I bought a bag of wheat 
containing two bushels and a half ; and I got also thirty-two 
iron harrow teeth. I dragged these things, with many others, 
including quite an assortment of garden seeds, on my dog-trains, 
all the way to Norway House. I harnessed eight dogs to mj* 
plough, and ploughed up my little fields; and, after making a 
harrow, I harrowed in my wheat with the dogs. The first year 
I had thirty bushels of beautiful wheat. This I cut with a 
sickle, and then thrashed it with a flail. Mrs. Young sewed 
several sheets together, and one day, when there was a steady, 
gentle breeze blowing, we winnowed the chaflf from the wheat in 
the wind. There were no mills within hundreds of miles of us ; 
so we merely cracked the wheat in a hand cofiee-mill, and used 
some of it for porridge, and gave the rest to the Indians, who 
made use of it in their soups. 

Thus we laboured with them and for them, and were more and 
more encouraged, as the years rolled on, at seeing how resolved 
they were to improve their temporal circumstances, which at the 
best were not to be envied. 

The principal article of food was fish. The nets were in the 
water from the time the ice disappeared in May until it returned 
in October ; and often were holes cut in the ice, and nets placed 
under it, for this staple article of food. 

The great fall fisheries were times of activity and anxiety, aa 



•irtsM";" 



^ < 
P3 a 



h3 



oo 
.00 




-^15 



188 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

the winter's supply of food depended very much upon the numbers 
caught. So steady and severe is the frost at Norway House, 
and at all the Missions north of it, that the fish caught in 
October and the early part of November, keep frozen solid until 
April. The principal fish is the white fish, although many other 
varieties abound. 

Each Indian family endeavoured to secure from three to five 
thousand fish, each fall, for the winter's supply. For my own 
family use, and more especially for my numerous dogs, which 
were required for my long winter trips to the out Mission appoint- 
ments, I used to endeavour to secure not less than ten thousand 
fish. It is fortunate that those lakes and rivers so abound in 
splendid varieties of fish. If it were not so, the Indians could 
not exist. But, providentially, 

" The teeming sea supplies 
The food the niggard soil denies." 

Deer of several varieties abound, and also other animals, the 
flesh of which furnishes nutritious food. But all supplies of food 
thus obtained are insignificant in comparison with the fish, 
which the Indians are able to obtain except in the severest 
weather. 

As with the natives, so it was with the Missionaries; the 
principal article of food upon their tables was fish. During the 
first Kiel Rebellion, when all communication with the interior was 
cut ofi", and our supplies could not as usual be sent out to us 
from Bed Biver, my good wife and I lived on fish twenty-one 
times a week, for nearly six months. Of course there were times 
when we had on the table, in addition to the fish, a cooked rabbit, 
or it may be a piece of venison or bear's meat. However, the 
great " stand-by," as they say out in that land, was the fish. 

Every summer hundreds of Indians from other places visited 
us. Some came in their small canoes, and others with the 
Brigades, which in those days travelled vast distances with their 
loads of rich furs, which were sent down to York Factory on the 
Hudson Bay, to be shipped thence to England. Sometimes they 



DEPUTATIONS OF INDIANS. 189 

remained several weeks between the trading post and the Mission. 
Yery frequent were the conversations we had with these wander- 
ing red men about the Great Spirit and the Great Book. 

Some, full of mischief, and at times unfortunately full of rum, 
used to come to annoy and disturb us. One summer a band of 
Athabasca Indians so attacked our Mission House that for three 
days and nights we were as in a state of siege. Unfortunately 
for us our own loyal able-bodied Indian men were all away as 
trip men, and the few at the Mission village were powerless 
to help. Our lives were in jeopardy, and they came very near 
burning down the premises. 

Shortly after these Athabasca Indians had left us I saw 
a large boatload of men coming across the lake towards our 
village. Imagining them to be some of these same disturbers, I 
hastily rallied all the old men I could, and went down to the 
shore, to keep them, if possible, from landing. Yery agreeable 
indeed was my surprise to find that they were a band of earnest 
seekers after the Great Light, who had come a long distance to 
see and talk with me. Gladly did I lead them to the Mission 
House, and until midnight I endeavoured to preach to them 
Jesus. They came a distance of over three hundred miles ; but 
in that far-off district had met in their wanderings some of 
our Christian Indians from Norway House, who, always carrying 
their Bibles with them, had, by reading to them and praying 
with them, under the good Spirit's influence, implanted in their 
hearts longing desires after the great salvation. They were 
literally hungering and thirsting after salvation. Before they 
left for their homes, they were all baptized. Their importunate 
request to me on leaving was the same as that of many others : 
" Do come and visit us in our own land, and tell us and our 
famihes more of these blessed truths." 

From God's Lake, which is sixty miles from Oxford Lake, a 
deputation of eleven Indians came to see me. They had travelled 
the whole distance of two hundred and sixty miles in order that 
they might hear the Gospel, and get from me a supply of Bibles, 
Hymn-books, and Catechisms. One of them had been baptized 
and taught years ago by the Rev. R. Brooking. His life and 
14 



190 J5Y CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

teachings had made the others eager for this blessed way, and 
so he brought these hungry sheep in the wilderness that long 
distance that they might have the truth explained to them more 
perfectly, and be baptised. As it had been with the others 
who came from a different direction, so it was with these. Their 
earnest, oft-repeated * entreaty was, "Come and visit us and 
ours in our far-away homes." 

A few weeks after, another boatload of men called to have 
a talk with me. They seated themselves on the grass in front 
of the Mission House, and at first acted as though they expected 
me to begin the conversation. I found out very soon that they 
were Saulteaux, and had come from Beren's Kiver, about a 
hundred and fifty miles away. After a few words as to their 
health and families had passed between us, an old man, who 
seemed to be the spokesman of the party, said, " Well, Ayume- 
aookemou " ('* praying master," the Missionary's name), " do you 
remember your words of three summers ago 1 " 

" What were my words of three summers ago ? " I asked. 

" Why," he replied, " your words were that you would write to 
the Keche-ayumeaookemou " (the great praying masters, the 
Missionary Secretaries) " for a Missionary for us." 

When I first passed through their country, they with tears in 
their eyes had begged for a Missionary. I had been much moved 
by their appeals, and had written to the Mission House about 
them and for them, but all in vain. None had come to labour 
among them. 

For my answer to this old man's words I translated a copy of 
my letter, which had been published, and in which I had strongly 
urged their claims for a Missionary. They all listened attentively 
to the end, and then the old man sprang up and said, " We all 
thank you for sending that word, but where is the Missionary ? " 
I was lost for an answer, for I felt that I was being asked by 
this hungering soul the most important question that can be 
heard by the Christian Church, to whom God has committed the 
great work of the world's evangelisation. 

" Where is the Missionary % " The question thrilled me, and 
I went down before it like the reed before the storm. I could 



WHERE IS THE 3IISSI0NARYV' 191 

only weep and say, "Lord, have mercy upon me and on th« 
apathetic Christian world." 

That was the hardest question a human being ever asked me. 
To tell him of a want of men, or a lack of money, to carry the 
glad tidings of salvation to him and his people, would only have 
filled his mind with doubts as to the genuineness of the religion 
enjoyed by a people so numerous and rich as he knew the whites 
were. So I tried to give them some idea of the world's popula- 
tion, and the vast number yet unconverted to Christianity. 1 
told him the Churches were at work in many places and among 
many nations, but that many years would pass la, way before ail 
the world would be supplied with Missionaries. 

" How many winters will pass by before that time comes ? " he 
asked. 

*' A great many, I fear," was my answer. 

He put his hands through his long hair, once as black as a 
raven's wing, but now becoming silvered, and replied : " These 
white hairs show that I have lived many Avinters, and am getting 
old. My countrymen at Red River on the south of us, and here 
at Norway House on the north of us, have Missionaries, and 
churches, and schools ; and we have none. I do not wish to die 
until we have a church and a school." 

The story of this old man's appeal woke up the good people of 
the Churches, and something was soon done for these Indians. I 
visited them twice a year by canoe and dog-train, and found them 
anxious for religious instruction and progress. 

At first I sent to live among them my faithful interpreter, 
Timothy Bear. He worked faithfully and did good service. Ho 
was not a strong man physically, and could not stand much 
exposure. To live in, he had my large leather tent, which was 
made of the prepared skins of the buffalo. One night a great 
tornado swept over the country, and Timothy's tent was carried 
away, and then the drenching rains fell upon him and his. A 
severe cold resulted, and when word reached me several weeks 
after at Norway House, it was that my trusted friend was hope- 
lessly ill, but was still endeavouring to keep at his duties. 

So great was my anxiety to go and comfort him that I started 




I. — NOTHING BUT THE HIND QUARTER OF A WILD CAT FOR BREAKFAST. OFF 

LOOKING FOR GAME. 




IL— SIX HUNDRED YARDS IS A LONG SHOT, BUT WILD CAT IS POOR FOOD, AND 
SO WE WILL TRY FOR SOMETHING BETTER. 



194 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

out with my dog-trains so soon after the winter set in that that 
trip very nearly proved to be my last. The greater part of that 
journey was performed upon Lake Winnipeg. Very frequently 
on the northern end of that lake the ice, which there forms first, 
is broken up by the fierce winds from the southern end, which, 
being three hundred miles further south, remains open several 
days longer. I had with me two Indians, — one was an old 
experienced man, named William Cochran ; the other a splendid 
specimen of physical manhood, named Felix, 

When we reached Lake Winnipeg, as far as we could judge 
by the appearance of the ice, it must have formed three times, 
and then have been broken up by the storms. The broken 
masses were piled up in picturesque ridges along the shore, or 
frozen together in vast fields extending for many miles. Over 
these rough ice-fields, where great pieces of ice, from five to 
twenty feet high, were thrown at every angle, and then frozen 
solid, we travelled for two days. Both men and dogs suffered 
a great deal from falls and bruises. Our feet at times were 
bruised and bleeding. Just about daybreak, on our third day, 
as we pushed out from our camp in the woods where we had 
passed the night, when we had got a considerable distance from 
the shore, Pelix was delighted to find smooth ice. He was 
guiding at the time. He put on his skates and bounded oft 
quickly, and was soon followed by the dogs, who seemed as 
delighted as he that the rough ice had all been passed, and now 
there was a possibility of getting on with speed and comfort. 

Just as I was congratulating myself on the fact of our having 
reached good ice, and that now there was a prospect of soon 
reaching my sick Indian brother, a cry of terror came from 
William, the experienced Indian who was driving our provision 
sled behind mine. 

" This ice is bad, and we are sinking," he shouted. 

Thinking the best way for me was to stop I checked my dogs, 
and at once began to sink. 

*' Keep moving, but make for the shore," was the instant cry 
of the man behind. 

I shouted to my splendid, well-trained dogs, and they at once 




III. — COME, SHARE WITH ME OUR SAVOURY VENISON. 



196 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

responded to the command given, and bounded towards the shore. 
Fortunately the ice was strong enough to hold the dogs up, 
although under the sled it bent and cracked, and in some places 
broke through. 

Yery grateful were we when we got back to the rough strong 
ice near the shore. In quiet tones we spoke a few words of con- 
gratulation to each other, and lifted up our hearts in gratitude 
to our great Preserver, and then hurried on. If we had broken 
in, we could have received no earthly aid, as there was not 
even a wigwam within a day's journey of us. 

That night at the camp-fire I overheard William saying to 
Felix, " I am ashamed of ourselves for not having taken better 
care of our Missionary." 

We found Timothy very sick indeed. We ministered to his 
comfort, and had it then in our power so to arrange that, while 
the work should not suffer, he could have rest and quiet. His 
success had been very marked, and the old Saulteaux rejoiced 
that he and the rest of them were to be neglected no longer. 
He had made such diligent progress himself in spiritual things 
that I gladly baptized him and his household. 

There were times when our supplies ran very short, and hunger 
and suffering had to be endured. During the first Kiel Kebellion, 
when we were cut off* from access to the outside world, we were 
entirely dependent upon our nets and guns for a long time. Our 
artist has tried to tell a story in three pictures. 

At the breakfast table we had nothing to eat but the hind- 
quarter of a wild cat. It was very tough and tasteless; and 
while we were trying to make our breakfast from it, Mrs. Young 
said, " My dear, unless you shoot something for dinner, I am 
afraid there will be none," 

So I took down my rifle, and tied on my snow-shoes, and 
started off looking for game. See Picture I. Pictures II. and III. 
tell the rest of the story. 




CITAPTEPv XYIT. 



BMALL-POX PESTILENCE— HEROIC CONDUCT OF CHRISTIAN INDIANS — 
WHITES SUPPLIED WITH PROVISIONS BY RED MEN— THE GUIDE, 
SAMUEL PAPANEKIS — HIS TRIUMPHANT DEATH — NANCY, THE HAPPY 
WIDOW — IN POVERTY, YET REJOICING. 

WE were very much shocked, during the early spring, to hear 
that that terrible disease, the small-pox, had broken out 
among the Indians on the great plains of the Saskatchewan. 

It seems to have been brought into the country by some white 
traders coming up from the State of Montana. When once it 
had got amongst them, it spread with amazing rapidity and 
fatality. To make matters worse, one of the tribes of Indians, 
being at war with another, secretly carried some of the infected 
clothing, which had been worn by their own dead friends, into 
the territory of those with whom they were at war, and left 
it where it could be easily found and carried off. In this way 
the disease was communicated to this second tribe, and thousands 
of them died from it. 

Every possible precaution against the spread of this terrible 
destroyer was taken by the Missionaries, Messrs. McDougall and 
Campbell, aided by their Christian people. But, in spite of all 
their efforts, it continued cutting down both whites and Indians. 
To save some of his people Mr. McDougall got the Indians of his 
Victoria Mission to leave their hemes and scatter themselves over 
the gieat prairies, where, he hoped, they would, by being isolated, 
escape the contagion. The pagan Indians, rendered desperate 
under the terrible scourge which was so rapidly cutting them 
off, and being powerless to check it, resolved to wreak their 



198 BY CANOE AND BOG-TRAIN. 

vengeance upon the defenceless whites. So they sent a band of 
warriors to destroy every white person in the country. The first 
place they reached, where dwelt any of the palefaces, was the 
Victoria Mission on the Saskatchewan River. Indian-like, they 
did not openly attack, but, leaving the greater number of their 
warriors in ambush in the long grass, a few of them sauntered 
into the Mission House. Here, to their surprise, they found that 
the small-pox had entered, and some of the inmates of the home 
had died. Quickly and quietly they glided away, and told their 
comrades what they had seen. A hasty consultation was held, 
and they decided that it could not have been the Missionary who 
had control of the disease; for, if he had, he would not have 
allowed it to have killed his own. They then decided it must 
have been the fur-traders, and so they started for the trading 
post. Here they pursued the same tactics, and found to their 
surprise that a Mr. Clarke, the gentleman in charge of that place, 
had fallen a victim. Another hasty council made them think 
that they had been mistaken, and so they quickly returned to 
their own country without having injured any one. 

But the Missionary and his family Avere surrounded by perils. 
The Indians were excited and unsettled, and their old pagan 
conjurers were ever ready to incite them to deeds of violence. 
The restraining power of God alone saved them from massacre. 
Once the Missionary's wife and some of the family were at work 
in the garden, while secreted in the long grass not a hundred 
yards from them lay eleven Blackfeet, who had come to murder 
and pillage the place, but, as they afterwards acknowledged, 
were strangely restrained from firing. At another time some of 
the fierce warriors of this same bloodthirsty tribe crawled through 
a field of barley, and for a long time watched the movements 
of the family, and then noiselessly retired, doing no harm to 
any one. To hear the ping of a bullet as it passed in close 
proximity to the head was no very rare event in the lives of 
several of the early Missionaries among the excited pagans. 

"While the small-pox was raging in the Great Saskatchewan 
country, strenuous efibrts were made to prevent its spreading to 



SMALL-POX PESTILENCE. 



199 



other districts. Manitoba had now been formed into a province, 
and was filling up with white settlers. The old name, Fort 
Garry, had been changed to Winnipeg, and this place was 
rapidly growing into a prosperous town. From Fort Garry 
Ion- trains of Red River carts had been in the habit of going 
for ''years with the supplies needed in the far-off Saskatchewan 




DOG-TRAIN WITH MAIL {p. 200). 



country. These carts were made without having in their con- 
struction a single piece of iron. The Half-breeds or Indian drivers 
never oiled or greased them, and the result was they could be 
heard about as far as seen, even on the level prairies. Each cart 
was drawn by one ox, and was supposed to carry from eight 
to twelve hundred pounds of supplies, in addition to the tood 



200 BY CANOE AND DOG-TBAIN. 

and outfit of the driver, who was always expected to walk. This 
freighting by carts on the prairies is the counterpart of trans- 
porting goods by open boats or canoes in the northern rivers, to 
which we have elsewhere referred. The arrival of the brigade of 
carts with the supplies, and the news from the outside world, was 
the great event of the year in the early times at those lonely 
prairie settlements. 

But stern measures had to be adopted in this year of the 
small-pox plague. A proclamation was issued by the Governor 
of the Province of Manitoba, absolutely prohibiting any trade 
or communication in any way with the infected district. Not 
a single cart or traveller was permitted to go on the trail. This 
meant a good deal of suffering and many privations for the 
isolated Missionaries and traders and other whites who, for 
purposes of settlement or adventure, had gone into that remote 
interior country. 

As it was, only twice a year in many places did the lonely 
Missionaries hear from the outside world. Then the mail-carrier 
was very welcome, whether he came by canoe or clog-train. 

Although there were still plenty of buffalo on the plains, it 
was well known that the ammunition was about exhausted, as 
well as all other Supplies, including medicines, now so much 
needed. Some interested parties vainly urged the Governor to 
relent and allow some supplies to be sent in. But, conscious of 
the risks that would be run of the pestilence reaching the province 
over which he governed, he remained firm, while he felt for 
those who necessarily must suffer. 

'* What can be done to aid those unfortunate ones, who, in 
addition to their sorrows and troubles incident to the ravages of 
the small-pox among them, are now to be exposed to pinching 
famine and want ? " was the question that sympathising friends 
were asking each other. As a last resort it was decided to appeal 
to the Norway House Christian Indians, and ask them to form 
a brigade of boats, and take the much-needed supplies up the 
mighty Saskatchewan Kiver, where they could be reached by 
those needing them. 

To me, as Missionary of these Indians, Mr. Stewart, the highest 




EEV. EDWARD PAPAXEKIS AND FAMILY- 



202 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

official of the Hudson's Bay Company, came ; and we talked the 
matter over, and the risks which the Indians, not one of whom 
had been vaccinated, must run in going on such a perilous journey. 
They would have to go hundreds of miles through the disease- 
stricken land where hundreds had died. But it seemed essential 
that something must be done, and there were possibilities that 
the Indians, by acting very wisely, could escape infection : so we 
decided to call them together, and see what they would do in this 
emergency. 

When the church bell was rung, and the people had assembled 
together in their Council house, wondermg what was the matter, 
I described the sad circumstances to them, and then presented 
the request, that one hundred and sixty of them should take 
twenty boats loaded with supplies, and go up the Saskatchewan, 
to save these white people from starving. I said to these con- 
verted Indians, my own people : 

" I know your race on this continent has not always been fairly 
treated ; but never mind that. Here is a grand opportunity for 
you to do a glorious act, and to show to the world and to the good 
Lord, Whose children you are, that you can make sacrifices and 
run risks when duty calls, as well as the whites can." 

We told them that there was a possibility that they, by keep- 
ing in the Iniddle of the great river all the time, and never going 
ashore, might all escape. They would be provided with abundance 
of food ; so they need not go ashore to hunt. Then we asked, 
"Are you willing to run the risk, and avail yourselves of this 
chance to do a glorious act ? " Turning to one of the most trusted 
guides in the country, one of my best Class-Leaders, I said : 
" Samuel Papanekis, you are to be the guide and leader of this 
party." He was a son of the old centenarian, and brother of the 
Rev. Edward Papanekis, now our Missionary at Oxford House 
Mission. 

He seemed at first a little startled by the responsibility of the 
position, and after a moment's thought quietly said : " Will you 
give us a little time to talk it over ? " So we left them to discuss 
the matter among themselves. When they sent us word that 
they had their answer ready, we returned, and he said : " Mis- 



nEROIC INDIANS. 203 

sionary, we have talked it over, and have decided to go to take 
the supplies to our suffering white brothers and their families. 
But will you let us have one more Sunday at the church, and 
will you give us the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, ere we start 
upon the dangerous journey ? " 

'' Yes," I said, " it will take several days to get your loads and 
boats ready, and so we will have another blessed day of rest and 
hallowed worship together." 

It was a memorable Sabbath. Every man, woman, and child 
who could come to church, seemed to be there. Some of the 
women wept as they thought of the risks their husbands, or 
brothers, or sons were running. Others of them seemed to catch 
the spirit of the men, and felt proud that those they loved were 
willing to undertake so brave and noble a work. 

At the close of the morning service we had the Sacrament of 
the Lord's Supper. It was very solemn and impressive. As they 
came forward and partook of the emblems of their dear Lord's 
dying love, the recollection of His self-sacrifice and disinterested 
kindness seemed to come very vividly before us all, and there 
was in many hearts a kind of exultant joy that they were 
counted worthy to run some risks for the sake of doing good. 

No foolish boastfulness, or desire to seek for sympathy, cha- 
racterised their utterances at the afternoon service, at which we 
met again in a Testimony or Fellowship Meeting. Some made 
no reference at all to the work before them; others asked for 
our prayers for them ; and others, well taught in the Word of 
God, with the hallowed influences of the morning sacramental 
service still resting upon them, thought that they ought to rejoice 
when there were chances for getting into this spirit, so as to be 
partakers of Christ's sufferings, oi companions in tribulation with 
such a Friend, so that when His glory should be revealed, they 
also might rejoice, as He has taught us : " If we suffer with 
Him," we shall " also be glorified together." 

Two or three days after this they started on their long, 
dangerous journey. They had twenty boats well loaded with 
supplies, each manned by eight Indians, and all under the guid- 
ance of Samuel Papanekis, whom they were expected to implicitly 



204 BY CANOE ANB BOG-TRAIN. 

obey. They went up the fine river that passes by Norway House, 
until they entered into Lake Winnipeg. From this place they 
skirted around the north-western shore of this great lake, until 
they reached the mouth of the Saskatchewan River. Up this 
great river they had to row their boats against the current for 
many hundreds of miles That summer was an exceedingly hot 
one, yet for weeks together these gallant fellows tugged away at 
their heavy oars. For a few short hours of rest during the night 
they anchored their boats in mid-stream, and then at first blush 
of morning they continued their journey. Wild beasts were 
sometimes seen walking on the shores or quenching their thirst 
in the river. The hunting instincts of the younger Indian boat- 
men were so strong that they begged to be allowed to fire ; but 
Samuel, ever on the alert, and seeing the danger, always positively 
refused. 

When the Sabbaths came they anchored their boats as close 
together as possible near the middle of the river on some shoal 
or shallow spot, such as abound in this great river of shifting 
sand bars. Here they spent their quiet, restful days, having 
prayers and a couple of religious services each Sunday. 

Ere they reached the place where they were to deliver their 
precious cargoes, the river passed through many miles of the 
plague-stricken country. They could see on the shores the 
deserted wigwams, in which all the inmates had fallen victims 
to the fell destroyer, or had, panic-stricken, fled away. 

Very long seemed that summer, and great indeed was our 
solicitude, and many were our prayers for these noble men, from 
^vhom we did not hear a single word during the whole time of 
their absence. After being away for about ten weeks, they came 
back amidst a doxology of thanksgiving and gratitude. All of 
them were happy and in vigorous health, with the exception of 
the guide. The strain and anxiety upon him had been too much, 
and he was never the same man after. The others said, " Samuel 
seemed to be everywhere, and to watch every movement with 
almost sleepless vigilance." Realising how great the respon- 
sibilities were upon him, he determined, if untiring devotion to 
his work would enable him to rescue those sufiering whites, and 



DEATH OF THE GUIDE. 205 

then return with his large brigade uncontaminated by the disease, 
it should be done. 

He succeeded, but at the price of his own life, for he only came 
home to linger a while and then to die. His indomitable will-power 
kept him up until he saw the last boat safely moored in our quiet 
harbour, and witnessed the loving greetings between his stalwart 
crews and their happy families. He joined with us all in the 
blessed thanksgiving service in our overflowing sanctuary, where 
with glad hearts we sang together : 

" And are we yet alive, 

And see each other's face ? 
Glory and praise to Jesus give 

For His redeeming grace : 

Preserved by power Divine 

To full salvation here, 
Again in Jesu's praise we join, 

And in His sight appear." 

Then he began to droop and wither, and in spite of all that we, 
or the kind Hudson's Bay officials, who were very much attached 
to him, could do for him, he seemed almost visibly to slip away 
from us. 

By-and-by the end drew near. It was a beautiful day, and 
as he had some difficulty in breathing, at his own request a 
wigwam was prepaied, and he was well wrapped up and gently 
lifted out of his house and placed upon a bed of balsam boughs 
covered with robes. He seemed grateful for the change, and 
appeared a little easier for a time. We talked of Jesus, and 
heaven, and " the abundant entrance," and " the exceeding great 
and precious promises." Then he dropped off in a quiet slumber. 
Soon after, he awoke with a consciousness that the time of his 
departure had come, and laid himself out to die. Bending over 
him, I said, " Samuel, this is death that has come for you ! Tell 
me how it is with you." His hearing had partly left him, and 
so he did not understand me. Speaking more loudly I said, 
" Samuel, my brother, you are in the Valley of the Shadow of 
Death ; how is it with you ? " 

His eye brightened, and his look told me he had understood my 
15 



206 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

question. He lifted up his thin, emaciated arm, and, seeming to 
clasp hold of something, he said, " Missionary, I am holding on 
to God ; He is my all of joy and hope and happiness." Then the 
arm fell nerveless, and my triumphant Indian brother was in 
the Better Land. 

Perhaps I cannot find a better place than here to refer to 
Samuel's widow and ch'ldren, and an interview I had with them. 

They moved away, shortly after his death, from his house in 
the Mission village, and took up their abode with several other 
families up the river beyond the Fort, several miles from the 
village. We had visited them and substantially aided them up 
to the time of their moving away, but for a while I had not met 
them, except at the services, and so did not know how they were 
prospering. When the cold winter set in, I arranged with my 
good Brother Semmens that we would take our dog-trains and 
go and make pastoral visits among all the Indian families on the 
outskirts, and find out how they were piospering, temporally and 
spiritually. It was ever a great joy to them when we visited 
them, and by our inquiries about their fishing and hunting, 
and other simple afiairs, showed we were interested in these 
things, and rejoiced with them when they could tell of success, 
and sympathised with them when they had met with loss or 
disaster. Then they listened reverently when we read from the 
blessed Word, and prayed with them in their humble homes. 

One bitterly cold day towards evening we drove up to a very 
poor little house. We knocked at the door, and in answer to a 
cheery " Astum," — the Indian for " Come in," — we entered the 
little abode. Our hearts sank within us at the evidences of the 
poverty of the inmates. The littl e building was ma de of poplar logs, 
the interstices of which were filled up with moss and clay. The 
floor was of the native earth, and there was not a piece of furni- 
ture in the abode, not a table, chair, or bedstead. In one corner 
of the room was an earthen fireplace, and, huddled around a poor 
fire in it, there sat a widow with a large family of children, one 
of whom was a cripple. 

We said a few words of kindly greeting to the family, and 
then, looking round on the destitute home, I said sorrowfully, 



HAPPY NANCY. 



207 



" Nancy, you seem to be very poor ; you don't seem to have any- 
thing to make you happy and comfortable." Very quickly came^ 
the response, — and it was in a very much more cheery strain than, 
my words had been,— 

" I have not got much, but I am not unhappy, Missionary." 

" You poor creature," I replied, " you don't seem to have any- 
thing to make you comfortable." 

" I have but little," she said quietly. 

" Have you any venison? " 




F18HING THROUGH TUB ICE (_^. 20o_). 

"No!" 

" Have you anj^ flour ? " 

" No ! " 

" Have you any tea ? " 

"No I" 

" Have you any potatoes ? " 

When this last question of mine was uttered, the poor woman 
looked up at me, for she was the widow of Samuel Papanekis, 
and this was her answer: "I have no potatoes, for, don't you 



208 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN 

remember, at the time of potato planting Samuel took charge 
of the brigade that went up with provisions to save the poor 
white people ? And Samuel is not here to shoot deer, that I may 
inave venison ; and Samuel is not here to catch mink and marten 
^nd beaver and other things to exchange for flour and tea." 

*' What have you got, poor woman?" I said with my heart 
full of sorrow. 

She replied, " I have got a couple of fish-nets." 
" What did you do when it was too stormy to visit the nets ? " 
" Sometimes some of the men from the other houses visited 
them for me, and would bring me the fish. Then we sometimes 
get some by fishing through the ice." 

" What about when it was too stormy for any one to go ? " 
She quietly said, " If nothing were left, we go without anything." 
As I looked at her and her large family of fatherless children, 
and then thought of her husband's triumphant death, and his 
glorious transfer to that blest abode, where " they shall hunger 
no more, neither thirst any more," and where " God shall wipe 
away all tears from their eyes," the contrast between the husband 
and father in his felicity, and the sorrow of the widow and 
children in their poverty, so affected me that, to hide my emotion 
and keep back my tears, I hurried out of the room, following my 
loving Brother Semmens, who was, if possible, more deeply moved 
than I was. We had gone into that house to pray, but we could 
not. There must be tangible sympathy given ere we could look 
to a higher source. 

My brother had reached the cariole, which was a few yards 
away, and I was not far behind, when the word, " Ayumeaooke- 
mou," {" Praying master,") arrested my hurrying steps. I turned 
back, and there, just outside of the door, was Nancy. With a 
woman's quick intuition to read the feelings of the heart from the 
face and voice, she had followed me out, and her words, as nearly 
as I can recall them, were these : 

" Missionary, I do not want you to feel so badly for me ; it is 
true I am very poor; it is true, since Samuel died, we have often 
been hungry and have often suffered from the bitter cold ; but. 
Missionary," and her face had no trace of sorrow upon it, " you 



210 BT CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

have heard me say that as Samuel gave his heart to God, so 
have I given God my heart, and He Who comforted Samuel and 
helped him, so that he died so happily, is my Saviour ; and where 
Samuel has gone, by-and-by I am going too ; and. that thought 
makes me happy all the day long." 

There came a blessed exultation into my soul, but I could find 
no answer then. So I hurried on and joined my weeping brother, 
and shouting, " Marche ! " to our dogs, we were soon rapidly 
speeding over the icy trail to our Mission home. 

That night our bed. was a blanket thinn'er, and on our limited 
supplies there was a heavy drain. I told the Indians who were 
better off about her straitened condition, and she and hers 
were made more comfortable. Many of them gave very generously 
indeed to help her. The grace of liberality abounds largely 
among these poor Christian Indians, and they will give to the 
necessities of those who are poorer than themselves until it seems 
at times as though they had about reached the same level. 

The triumphant death of Samuel, and then Nancy's brave 
words, very much encouraged us in our work. We could not but 
more than rejoice at the Gospel's power, still so consciously 
manifested to save in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and 
also to make a humble log-cabin a little heaven below. We 
pitied her in her poverty, and yet soon after, when we had 
thought it all over in the light of eternity, we could only rejoice 
with her, and in our spirits say, " Happy woman ! Better live 
in a log hut without a chair or table or bedstead, without flour or 
tea or potatoes, entirely dependent upon the nets in the lake for 
food, if the Lord Jesus is a constant Guest, than in a mansion 
of a millionaire, surrounded by every luxury, but destitute of His 
presence." 

It is a matter of great thankfulness that not only spiritually 
but temporally thousands of the Indians in different parts of 
Canada are improving grandly. The accompanying picture 
(p. 209) is from a phonograph taken at the Scugog Lake Indian 
Mission. The fine barn, well filled with wheat, as well as all the 
surrounding vehicles and agricultural implements, belong to one 
of the Christian Indians. 




CITAPTER XYIII. 

A KACE FOR LIFE IN A BLIZZAED STORM— SAVED BY THE MARVELLOUS 
INTELLIGENCE OF JACK — "WHERE IS THE OLD MAN, WHOSE HEAD 
WAS LIKE THE SNOW-DRIFT ? " 

BLIZZARD storms sometimes assailed us, as on the long winter 
trails, with our gallant dogs and faithful companions, we 
wandered over those regions of magnificent distances. 

To persons who have not actually made the acquaintance of the 
blizzard storms of the North -Western Territories, or Wild North 
Land, it is almost impossible to give a satisfactory description. 
One peculiarity about them, causing them to differ from other 
storms, is that the wind seems to be ever coming in little whirls 
or eddies, which keep the air full of snow, and make it almost 
impossible to tell the direction from which the wind really comes. 
With it apparently striking you in the face, you turn your back 
to it, and are amazed at finding that it still faces you. Once, when 
on Lake Winnipeg, we saw one coming down upon us. Its ap- 
pearance was that of a dense fog blowing in from the sea. Tery 
few indeed are they who can steer their course correctly in a blizzard 
storm. Most people, when so unfortunate as to be caught in one, 
soon get bewildered, and almost blinded by the fine, dry, hard 
particles of snow which so pitilessly beat upon them, filling eyes, 
nose, and even ears and mouth, if at all exposed. 

Once, when crossing Lake Winnipeg, to visit some wild 
Indians, whom we found on our arrival in the midst of the 
hideous ceremonies of a dog feast, I got caught in a terrible 
storm. My men had gone on ahead with all the dogs, to have 
dinner ready in the camp on tlie distant shore, leaving me miles 



212 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

behind, tramping along on snow-shoes. Down from the north, 
with terrific fury, came the gale. I tramped on as rapidly as 
possible, until I got bewildered. Then I took off one of my 
snow-shoes, and, fastening it in a hole cut in the ice, I got ready 
to tramp in a small circle around it to keep from freezing to 
death, when fortunately I heard the welcome whooping of my 
Indians, who, seeing my danger, had quickly turned round, and 
risking their own lives for mine, for they could have reached the 
woods and shelter, aided by the dogs, had fortunately reached me. 
There we stopped for hours, until the blizzard had spent its fury, 
and then on we went. 

I had a remarkable experience in a blizzard, which I will more 
fully describe, as our escape was under Providence so much 
indebted to my wonderful dog Jack. 

I had started on one of my long winter trips to visit the few 
little bands of Indians who were struggling for an existence on 
the Eastern coast of Lake Winnipeg, and who were always glad 
to welcome the Missionary, and to hear from him of the love of 
the Great Spirit, and of His Son Jesus Christ. Their country 
is very wild and rough, very different from the beautiful prairie 
regions of the North-West. To keep down expenses, which in 
those Northern Missions are very heavy, I had started out on 
this long trip with only this young Indian lad as my com- 
panion. But as he was good and true, I thought we could 
succeed, since I had been several years in the country, and had 
faced many a wintry storm, and slept many nights in the snow. 

We had with us two splendid trains of dogs. My leader was 
a lively, cunning Esquimaux dog, as white as snow. His name 
was Koona, which is the Indian word for "snow"; and he was 
well named. The other three dogs of my train were my favourites 
from Ontario. Two of them were gifts from Senator Sanford, of 
Hamilton ; the other was kindly sent to me by Dr. Mark, of 
Ottawa. The other train, driven by Alec, was composed of some 
sagacious St. Bernards obtained for me by the kindness of Mr. 
Ferrier, of Montreal. The largest and most enduring of the 
eight was Jack from Hamilton, whose place was second in my 
train, and who is to be the hero of this adventure. 



214 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

We had Jeft our camp-fire in the woods early in the morning, 
and, rurning our faces towards the north, had hoped that ere the 
shadows ot night had fallen around us, at least sixty miles of the 
frozen surface of Lake Winnipeg would have been travelled over. 
For a time we were able to push on very rapidly, keeping the 
distant points of Jieadlands well in view for our guidance. Lake 
Winnipeg is very much indented with bays, and in travelling we 
do not follow the coast line, but strike directly across these bays 
from point to point. Some of them run back for many miles 
into the land, and several of them are from ten to thirty miles 
wide. The dogs get so accustomed to these long trips and to 
their work, that they require no guide to run on ahead, but will, 
with wonderful intelligence, push on from point to point with 
great exactness. 

On and on we had travelled for hours ; the cold was very great, 
but we could easily jump off from our dog-sleds and run until we 
felt the glow and warmth of such vigorous exercise. After a 
while, we noticed that the strong wind which had arisen was 
filling the air with fine dry snow, and making travelling very 
difficult and unpleasant. Soon it increased to a gale, and we 
found ourselves in a real North-West blizzard on stormy Lake 
Winnipeg, many miles from shore. 

Perhaps our wisest plan would have been, at the commencement 
of the storm, to have turned sharply to the east, and got into the 
shelter of the forest as quickly as possible. But the bay we were 
crossing was a very deep one, and the headland before us seemed 
as near as the other end of the bay ; and so we thought it best 
to run the risk and push on. That we might not get separated 
from each other, I fastened what we call the tail rope of ray sled 
to the collar of the head dog of Alec's train. 

After Alec and I had travelled on for several hours, no sign 
of any land appearing, we began to think that the fickle blizzard 
was playing us one of its tricks, and that we had wandered far 
out into the lake. We stopped our dogs out there in the blinding, 
bewilderiijg storm. 

" Alec ! " I shouted, " I am afraid we are lost." 

" Yes, Missionary," he replied, " we are surely lost." 



LOST IN A BLIZZARD STORM. 215 

We talked about our position, and both had to confess that we 
did not really know where we were or which way we ought to go. 

The result of our deliberation was that we could do no better 
than trust in the good Providence above us, and in our dogs 

before us. 

As it was now after midday, and the vigorous exercise of the 
last few hours had made us very hungry, we opened our provi- 
sion bag, and, taking out some frozen food, made a fairly good 
attempt to satisfy the keen demands of appetite. We missed 
very much the good cup of hot black tea we should have had if 
we had been fortunate enough to reach the shore, and find some 
wood with which to make a fire. 

After our hasty meal we held a short consultation, in which 
the fact became more and more evident to us, that our position 
was a very perilous one, as we were becoming blinded by the 
driving particles of fine snow that stung our eyeballs and added 
much to our bewilderment. We found that we did not know 
east from west, or north from south, and would have to leave the 
dogs to decide on their own course, and let them go in any direction 

they pleased. 

I had a good deal of confidence in my dogs, as I had proved 
their sagacity. To Jack, the noblest of them all, I looked to 
lead us out of our difficulty; and he did not disappoint our 
expectations. I suppose I acted and talked to my dog in a way 
that some folks would have considered very foolish. When 
travelling regularlv, the dogs are only fed once a day, and that 
when the day's work is done. However, it was difi'erent that 
day, as in the blinding gale Alec and I tried to eat our dinner. 
As Jack and the others crowded around us, they were not 
neglected, and with them we shared the food we had, as there 
wa's a great uncertainty whether another meal would ever be 
required by any one of us. 

As usual in such emergencies, Jack had come up close to me, 
and so, while he and Alec and I, and the rest of us, men and 
dogs, were eating our dinners, I had a talk with him. 

"Jack, my noble fellow," I said, ''do you know that we are 
lost, and that it is very doubtful whether we shall ever see the 



216 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

Mission House again ? The prospect is that the snow will soon 
be our winding sheet, and that loving eyes will look in vain for 
our return. The chances are against your ever having the 
opportunity of stretching yourself out on the wolf rug before 
the study fire. Eouse up yourself, old dog, for in your intelli- 
gence we are going to trust to lead us to a place of safety." 

The few arrangements necessary for the race were soon made. 
Alec wrapped himself up as comfortably as possible in his rabbit- 
skin robe, and I helped him to ensconce himself securely on his 
dog-sled. I tied a rope from the end of my sled to the collar of 
his leader dog, so that our trains might not get separated. Then 
I straightened out the trains, and, wrapping myself up as well 
as I could on my sled, I shouted " March6 1 " to the dogs. 

I had as leader dog the intelligent white Esquimaux, " Koona." 
As I shouted the word for "Go," Koona turned his head and 
looked at me, as though bewildered, and seemed to be waiting 
for " Chaw " or " Yee," the words for " right" and '' left." As 
I did not know myself, I shouted to Jack, who was second in the 
train, " Go on, Jack, whichever way you like, and do the best 
you can, for I do not know anything about it." As Koona stili 
hesitated, Jack, with all the confidence imaginable, dashed off in 
a certain direction, and Koona with slackened traces ran beside 
him, very willing in such an emergency to give him all the honour 
of leadership. 

For hours the dogs kept bravely to their work. The storm 
raged and howled around us, but not for one moment did Jack 
hesitate or seem to be at fault. Koona had nothing to do but 
run beside him ; but the other two splendid dogs in the traces 
behind Jack seemed to catch his spirit, and nobly aided him by 
their untiring efibrts and courage. The cold was so intense that 
I had grave fears that we should freeze to death. We were 
obliged so to wrap ourselves up that it was impossible with so 
much on us to run with any comfort, or to keep up with the 
dogs whilst going at such a rapid rate. Frequently would I shout 
back to my comrade, ''Alec ! don't go to sleep. Alec, if you do, you 
may never wake up until the Judgment morning." Back would 
come his response, " All right, sir ; then I'll try to keep awake." 



SAVED BY MY BOG JACK, 217 

Thus on we travelled through that wintry storm. How cold, 
how relentless, how bitter were the continuous blasts of the north 
wind ! After a while the shadows of night fell upon us, and 
we were enshrouded in the darkness. Not a pleasant position 
was that in which we were situated ; but there was no help for 
it, nor any use in giving way to despondency or despair. A 
sweet peace filled my soul, and in a blessed restfulness of spirit 
my heart was kept stayed upon God. While there is life there 
is hope ; and so, with an occasional shout of warning to Alec to 
keep awake, and a cheering call to the dogs, who required no 
special urging, so gallantly were they doing their work, we 
patiently hung on to our sleds and awaited the result. We were 
now in the gloom of night, dashing along I knew not where, and 
not even able at times to see the dogs before vis. 

About three hours after dark the dogs quickened their pace 
into a gallop, and showed by their excitement that they had 
detected evidences of nearness to the shore and safety, of which 
as yet I knew nothing. Soon after they dragged us over a 
large pile of broken ice and snow, the accumulations of ice cut 
out of the holes in the lake, where the Indian families had for 
months obtained their supply of water for cooking and other 
purposes. Turning sharply on the trail towards the shore, our 
dogs dashed along for a couple of hundred yards more ; then they 
dragged us up a steep bank into the forest, and, after a few 
minutes more of rapid travelling, we found ourselves in the 
midst of a little collection of wigwams, and among a band of 
friendly Indians, who gave us a cordial welcome, and rejoiced 
with us at our escape from the storm, which was the severest 
of the year. 

We had three days of religious services with them, and then 
went on our way from encampment to encampment. Very glad 
were the poor people to see us, and with avidity did they receive 
the word preached. 

I felt that it was very slow work. My Circuit or Mission-field 
was larger than all England. I was the only Missionary of any 
Church in th^s large field. By canoe or dog-train I could only 
get around to all my appointments or out-stations twice a year. 



218 BY CANOE AND DOG-TltAIN. 

Six months the poor souls had to wait for the messenger and the 
message. 

At one of these Indian encampments on one of these visits 
I had the following sad experience. Before I closed the first 
service I asked, " Where is the old man whose head was Jike the 
snow-drift 1 " for I had missed a white-haired old man, who had 
ever been at all the services, and had from the time of his 
conversion manifested the greatest anxiety to hear and learn 
all he could about this great salvation. At first he had opposed 
me, and was annoyed at my coming among his people. Ulti- 
mately, however, he became convinced of the error of his ways, 
and was an earnest, decided Christian. When I arrived at his 
village, whether by canoe in summer, or dog-train in winter, 
I was always received by this venerable old man with great 
delight. Not satisfied with attending all the services held, and 
being at hand whenever I taught the Syllabic Characters, that 
the Indians might be able to read the blessed Word, he used 
to follow me like my shadow, and listen very attentively to all 
I had to say. It was rather startKng, indeed, when one night, 
after a hard day of preaching and teaching and counselling, 
I kneeled down to pray, ere I wrapped myself up in my camp- 
bed to get a little rest, to hear whispered in quiet tones beside 
me, " Missionary, pray in Indian, and so loud that I can hear 
you." In the morning he was there again, and as I bowed to 
say my quiet morning prayers there came into my ears from 
this old man the pleading words again, " Missionary, please 
pray in Indian, and pray out loud, so that I may hear what 
you say." 

Is it any wonder that I became very much attached to my old 
friend with the snow-white hair, who was so hungering and 
thirsting for the teachings of the Word ? Only twice a year 
could I then visit him and his people, I used to remain a few 
days at each of these visits, and very busy ones indeed they were. 
Eor six months these poor sheep in the wilderness had been 
without the Gospel, and as soon as I left they would have to get 
along as well as they could on what they had heard. Now that 
they had, under the good Spii it's influence, a longing desire to 



THE OLD MAN WITH SNOW-WHITE HAIR, 219 

receive the truth, can any one wonder at their anxiety to learn 
all they could from the Missionary during his short stay amoncr 
them % This intense desire on their part filled my heart with 
thankfulness, and amply compensated for all the sufierings and 
hardships of the long, cold, dangerous journeys. 

On my arrival at this place, as usual, the Indians had crowded 
around to welcome me. I was disappointed at not seeing my old 
friend. So it was that at our first meeting, held as soon as 
possible after my arrival, I asked the question, " Where is the 
old man whose head was like the snow-drift? " 

To my question there was no response, but every head was 
bowed as in grief and sorrow. 

Again I asked : " Tell me, what have you done with the old 
man with the snow-white hair ? " 

Then there was a little whispering among them, and one of 
them, speaking out softly, said in the Cree language, " Non 
pimmatissit ; " the English of which is, " He is not among the 
living." 

The poor Indians, who have not as yet come to understand that 
death is a conquered foe, never like to use the word ; and so, 
when speaking of those who have gone, they say they are " not 
among the living." 

When in this expressive way I learned that my old friend was 
dead, my heart was filled with sorrow, as I saw also were theirs. 
After a little pause I said, " Tell me how he died." 

At first there was a great deal of reluctance to answer this 
question ; but when they saw I was not only anxious but resolved 
to know all about it, they took me into a wigwam where most of 
his relatives were, and tliere a young man, a grandson, got up 
and told me this pathetic story. 

He said : " Miss-ionary, you had not been long gone with your 
canoe last summer before Mismis" (the Indian word for "grand- 
father ") " got very sick, and after some weeks he seemed to 
know that he was going to leave us. So he called us all around 
him, and said a great many things to us. I cannot remember 
them all, as he spoke many times ; but I do remember that he 
said, * How I wish the Missionary would soon come again tc talk 



220 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

to me and comfort me ! But he is far away, and my memory is 
bad, and I have forgotten what he used to say to me. My body 
is breaking up, and so also is my memory getting bad. Tell him 
his coming was like the sunlight on the waters ; but it was so 
seldom that he came that all in my mind has got so dark, and 
my memory is so bad, that I have forgotten all he used to say to 
me. The good things he used to tell us about the Good Spirit 
and His Son, and what we ought to do, have slipped away from 
me. that he were here to help me ! Tell him, as long as I 
was able, I used to go up to the point of land that runs out into 
the lake, and watch if I could see his canoe returning. But it 
came not. Tell him I have, since the winter set in, listened for 
the sound of the bells on his dog-trains. But I have not heard 
them. O that he were here to help me ! He is far away ; so 
get me my old drum and medicine bag, and let me die as did my 
fathers. But you, young people, with good memories, who can 
remember all the Missionary has said to you, listen to his words, 
and worship the Great Spirit and His Son, as he tells you, and 
do not do as I am doing ! ' 

" Then, as we saw his mind was weak, or he would not have 
asked for his old things, we got him the old drum, and put 
it before him where he was sitting upon the ground. We also 
hung up a medicine bag before him in the Avigwam, and ho 
drummed. As he drummed he fell, and as he fell he died. But 
his last words were to the young people with good memories to 
be sure and listen to the Missionary, and to give up all their old 
Indian sinful paganism." 

When the young man ceased and sat down again, a deep silence 
fell upon us all, as there we were huddled that cold, stormy day 
in that little bark tent. An occasional sob from some sorrowing 
relative was the only sound heard for several minutes. 

My own heart was deeply affected when they told me these and 
other things, which I cannot now call up, about the old Indian's 
death. After a while I broke the silence by saying, "Where 
have you buried him ? " 

They showed me the place. It was where his wigwam had 
stood. So terrible is the power of the Frost King in that land 



PRAYER IN THE SNOWDRIFT. 221 

in winter, that to dig a grave out in the open places is like 
cutting through a granite rock. And so in his tent, where 
burned his fire, thus keeping the ground unfrozen, there they dug 
his grave and buried him. The wigwam was removed, and soon the 
fierce storms swept over the place, and the snow fell deeply upon 
it, and there was nothing to indicate that there, so shortly before, 
had been a human habitation. 

When they had pointed out the place where, underneath the 
snow-drift, rested all that was mortal of my old friend, I lingered 
until the Indians had sought the shelter of their wigwams from 
the bitcer cold, and then all alone, except with Him Who hears 
His people's cry, I knelt down in the snow and prayed, or tried 
to pray. But I could only weep out my sorrow as I thought of 
this old man's precious soul passing into eternity under such 
strange circumstances. With his waning strength he exhorted 
his loved ones to be Christians, and yet he himself was performing 
some of the foolish and unmeaning rites of paganism, not because 
he had much faith in them, but because there was no Missionary 
or teacher to keep in his memory the story of Jesus and His 
wondrous love ! 

Never before did the wants and woes of the weary, waiting, 
wailing millions of earth's perishing ones rise up so vividly as T 
knelt there in the snow. Before me, through my blinding tears, 
I seemed to see them pass in dense array, — a dark world, to be 
niumined ; an enslaved world, to be set free ; a sinful world, to be 
made holy ; a redeemed world, to be saved. 

In a spirit that perhaps savoured too much of unbelief I cried out, 
"How long, Lord, how long? Why do Thy chariot wheels delay?" 

Saving me from further gloom, came some of the sweet promises 
of the Word : and so I prayed for their speedy fulfilment. 
Earnestly did my feeble petitions ascend, that the time would 
soon come when not only all the poor Indians of the great North- 
West, but also all the unnumbered millions of earth's inhabitants 
who are going down from the darkness of paganism and super- 
stition to the darkness of the grave, might soon have faithful 
teachers to whisper in their ears the story of the Cross, and point 
them to the world's Redeemer. 
16 



222 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

Making all the visits we had arranged for that trip, we 
returned home. Months after, when the packet arrived from 
Manitoba, the sad news, that had so filled the Church with sorrow, 
of the death of the heroic George McDougall reached us. Out on 
the wide prairies he had been caught in a blizzard storm. Horse 
and man seem to have become bewildered, and there the noble 
Missionary to the Indians on the great plains laid himself down 
to die, and his frozen body was not found until after fourteen 
days of diligent search. After my dear wife and I had read the 
story, and talked and wept about his death, so sad, so mysterious, 
so inscrutable, she said to me, " Where were you during that 
week ? " The journal was searched, and we were not a little 
startled at finding that the race for life we have in this chapter 
described was in all probability on the same day as that on which 
the Eev. George McDougall perished. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

WORK OUTSIDE THE PULPIT — POLYGAMY AND ITS EVILS — FAMILY 
RE-ARRANGEMENTS — DANGEROUS WORK AT TIMES — PRACTICAL 
PASTORAL DUTIES — A FISH SERMON — FIVE MEN WON TO CHRIST. 

TT/'HILE the blessed work of preaching " the glorious Gospel 
T T of the Son of God " was ever recognised as the most 
important of our duties, and we were permitted to rejoice that, 
as in Paul's time, still '' it pleased God by the foolishness of 
preaching to save them that believe," yet there was a great deal 
to be done outside of the pulpit ere these Indians could shake 
off the fetters of a degrading paganism with its attendant evils. 

The slavish fear of the old conjurers deterred some from openly 
avowing themselves as willing to accept the truths of Christianityc 
Others were polygamists, and were unwilling to comply with the 
Scriptural requirements. To have several wives is considered a 
great honour in some of the tribes. For a man to separate from 
all but one is to expose himself to ridicule from his pagan friends, 
and also to the danger of incurring the hostility of the relations 
of the discarded wives. Some of the most perplexing and trying 
duties of my missionary life have been in connection with this 
matter of re-organising, on a Christian basis, the families of once 
heathen polygamists, who, desirous to do what was right, have 
left the matter entirely in my hands. At first my convictions 
and views were that the first wife should always be the one to 
remain with the man, and the others should go away. Like all 
the other Missionaries in the country, I had to modify these ideas, 
and decide differently in some peculiar cases. 

For example, a man came to me who was much impressed by 



2U BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

the truth, and desu^ed to be a Christian. I questioned him closely, 
and found him very sincere and earnest in his resolves. The Spirit 
Was undoubtedly working in his heart and conscience. He told 
\is he had two wives, but was willing to put one away. Which 
^ne should go, he said he would leave to the Missionary to decide. 
-Ilis first wife was much the older woman, but she had no children, 
"Vvhile the younger wife had quite a family of little ones around 
her. So poor are they in this cold northern land that it is hard 
for the best of them at times to get along. Very sad is the con- 
dition of the widow, or those women who have no able-bodied men 
as husbands, fathers, or sons, to hunt and work for them. Worse 
still is it if they have helpless little children to be cared for. So 
the decision we came to was, that the wife with the family of 
little ones should remain with the man, and the one who had no 
children should leave him. 

We tried to arrange that a certain quantity of help should be 
rendered to the wife, or wives, put away by the husband. But 
we found that there was a certain amount of danger in this, the 
nature of which will be evident to the reader ; and so, while we 
insisted on the one or more who left receiving as large a share as 
possible of the man's " worldly goods," we endeavoured to make the 
separation complete and final. To help those who for conscience' 
sake thus acted was often a very heavy tax upon our limited means. 

Often the women themselves were the first to insist on a change 
from the old polygamous style, which, they were quick to see very 
soon after the Gospel was proclaimed to them, was antagonistic 
to its teachings. 

There was one most thrilling case that moved our hearts, and 
yet caused us to rejoice, for it showed us the depth of the religious 
convictions which impelled them to have the matter set right, 
even though one must be cast out and exposed to the ridicule of 
her heathen friends, and to the loss of a fairly good-natured 
husband, considering his pagan surroundings. 

Two women came to our Mission House, and asked to have 
a talk with my good wife and myself. After talking about 
different things, at length they told us, with much trepidation, 
that they had attended our services, and had a great desire in 



DIFFICULTIES WITH POLYGAMY. 225 

their hearts to become Christians. We found they were the two 
wives of an Indian whose wigwam had been pitched in our 
vicinity a few weeks before. These women and others had quietly 
come to our services at the church, and their hearts and consciences 
had been touched by the truth. 

We had had some experiences on these lines, and so with 
entire strangers we had learned to be a little cautious. In that 
country, as well as in civilised lands, it is sometimes a dangerous 
matter to interfere in the domestic affairs of other people. So 
we questioned them closely, and found that they were resolved to 
have the matter settled. I asked them if they had spoken to 
their husband about it, and they answered in the affirmative; 
also that he had left it to them to settle which should go, as 
he likewise had begun to think they ought to live as the 
Christian Indians did. We asked them what they wanted us 
to do, and they said that they had decided that they would leave 
the matter to the Missionary and his wife, and whichever we 
thought ought to leave, would go away, and try to get her own 
living. 

They returned to their wigwam, and with the consent of their 
husband made an equal division of the few things which constituted 
their possessions, such as nets, traps, blankets, kettles, and axes. 
Then, accompanied by their children, they came again to our 
house, and sat down apart from each other, and patiently awaited 
our decision. My wife and I deeply felt the responsibility of 
deciding; yet, as it had come to us because of the awakening 
of their hearts to desire a better life, we could not do otherwise 
than accept the situation, and do the best we could. 

We had talked the matter over, and had asked Divine guidance ; 
and so now, when summoned to give our decision, we quickly 
Dub kindly said to the woman with five children, " You are to 
stay with your husband;" and to the other woman, who had 
four children, we said, " You are not to return to the wigwam, 
but must be from this hour as an entii^e stranger to it." 

The first woman sprang up, her eyes flashing with joy, and 
gathering her children and property around her she uttered her 
hasty words of farewell, and was gone. For a few moments the 



226 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

other woman, who had drawn her blanket over her head, remained 
perfectly still, with the exception of a suppressed sob, which 
seemed to make the whole body quiver. Soon, with that won- 
derful will-power which these Indian women, as well as the men, 
possess, she appeared to have obtained the mastery over herself 
again, and, uncovering her head, she began to make preparations 
for leaving. As she turned her large black eyes dimmed with 
tears towards us, while there was no malice in them, there was 
a despairing sorrow that pierced us like a knife. She seemed to 
see the lonely, neglected, contemned, suffering life before her ; 
but she had counted the cost, and had taken the step for 
conscience' sake, and she would not flinch now. We entered 
into conversation with her, and it seemed almost cruel that we, 
who had given a decision that had shut up against her the only 
home she had, should begin to talk to her about where she would 
go and what she would do. 

She told us she did not know where to go or what to do. Her 
husband had bought her from her father, but he was dead ; and 
as her girlhood home was far away, and she had not been there 
since her husband took her away, she knew nothing about any of 
her relatives. But even if she did, and could find some of them, 
it was very likely they would treat her with contempt, and 
perhaps persecute her. So she had not the sHghtest idea as to 
the future. 

Need I write that our hearts were full of sorrow, and we saw 
that this was a case which must have help, no matter how 
straitened might be our financial circumstances ? 

We had but lately read the story of the little oil in the cruse, 
and the handful of meal in the barrel ; and so this woman and 
her children must be helped. While Mrs. Young fed them and 
talked kindly to them, I went out and got some of my Christian 
Indians together, and we talked the matter over, and then took 
off our coats and went to work, and made her a wigwam for the 
present, as it was in the pleasant summer-time. A canoe was 
obtained for her, and her nets were set where white fish could be 
caught readily. She was an industrious woman, willing to do 
everything she could ; and so, with the help we gave her and the 



THE OLD MAN WITH FOUR WIVES. 227 

tangible sympathy manifested by tbe Christian Indians, she took 
heart and got along very well, and became a good Christian 
woman. 

As the result of the looseness of tbe marriage tie in their old 
sinful lives, we found many strange complicated tangles, some of 
which it was impossible to straighten. To deal with some of them 
would have caused endless difficulty, without any possibility of 
improving matters. To refuse to interfere gave offence to some, 
who, I am afraid, were more pharisaical than wise. Here, for 
example, was one case. A couple bad been married years ago. 
After living together for several years and having three children, 
the man want off" to Red Kiver as a boatman for the Hudson's 
Bay Company. Delayed there for a time, he married a wife in 
the Indian settlement, and made that place his home, only return- 
ing with his second family about the time I went there. His 
first wife, a year or two after he left, not hearing from him, 
married another man, who supposed she was a widow, and they 
had several bright, interesting children. As the result of the 
faithful preaching of the Word, these families were converted, and 
became good Christians. They felt keenly their position, but, 
after pondering it over and listening to many solutions, I gave it 
up ; and as the two families were living happily, I left them as 
I had found tbem. Paganism, not Christianity, was responsible 
for the difficulty. 

At Nelson River I was accosted one day by an old man, who 
said he had listened carefully to what I had said, and wanted to 
become a Christian and be baptized. I was very much pleased 
with his talk, but, suspecting him to be a polygamist, I asked 
him as to the number of his wives. His answer was that he had 
four. I had a long conversation with him as to our views, and 
explained to him the teachings of God's Word, and candidly told 
him that I could not baptize him until he put three of them 
away. 

He seemed grieved at my decision, and said that he did want 
to be a Christian, but he and his wives were getting old, and they 
had got along fairly well ; and now if he went and told them 
what he would have to do, he was afraid there would be trouble. 



228 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

As I saw the man was really in earnest, and it was evident that 
the good Spirit was working upon his heart, I encouraged him 
to make the effort, and I told him everything would work out all 
right. 

He went to his large tent, and, getting his large family around 
him, — for three of these wives had stalwart sons, — he told them 
of his desire to become a Christian, and what he would have to 
do before the Missionary would consent to baptize him. At once 
there was a " row." The women began to wail, and the sons, 
who generally treated their mothers with neglect and indifference, 
now declared, with a good deal of emphasis, that their mothers 
should not be sent away, and thus degraded in the eyes of the 
people. From what I afterwards learned, there must have been 
a rough time. 

At length one of the sons spoke up and said, " Who is causing 
us all this trouble 1 " 

The answer was, " Why, it is the Missionary, whom we have 
all heard, and who refuses to baptize our father unless he puts 
away all of his wives but one." 

" Let us go for that Missionary," said several of them, and 
seizing their arms, they came for me. 

Fortunately for me I was outside of the trading post on the 
green, and saw them coming, and, not liking their suspicious move- 
ments, and imagining the cause, I speedily decided on my course 
of action. Calling one of my reliable Christian Indians, I went 
quickly towards them, and, ignoring their angry looks, I began 
talking to fchem as though we were the best of friends. Some- 
thing like the following were my words to them : — 

" Men, you have heard me talk to you out of the great Book. 
You have listened attentively. You are thinking about what I 
have said to you. I wish we could do something, or find out 
some way, by which you and your mothers and father could all 
resolve together to give up the old bad life, and accept the new 
one, and become Christians together. I have been thinking it 
over since I had a little talk with your father, and I have a plan 
that I think will work well." 

While I went on in this way, they listened attentively; and 



RE-ARRANGING HOUSEHOLDS. 229 

when I came to mention a plan by which the difficulty could be 
overcome, the wicked looks began to fade from their eyes, for 
they were not anxious to kill me if any other solution of the 
difficulty could be found. 

They were eager to know what I had to suggest, and listened 
very attentively when I told them it would not be humiliating to 
any one. I told them I was pleased to find some young men 
who were willing to stand up for their mothers, while the great 
majority treated them worse than they did their dogs. My sug- 
gestion was, that the sons of each mother should form a wigwam 
of their own, and take their own mother with them and care for 
her. They were good hunters and strong men, and could do well. 
Then I added, " Let your father remain with the wife who has 
no children, no strong sons or daughters. Do this, and the Great 
Spirit will be pleased, and when you are further instructed there 
will be nothing to prevent you all being baptized and becoming 
Christians together." 

They were much pleased with the suggestion, and went away 
to talk it over. I did not succeed in getting the scheme imme- 
diately carried out, but my successor, the devoted and heroic Rev. 
John Semmens, was so successful in following up the work thus 
begun, that these Indians, with many scores of others, have 
become sincere, consistent Christians. 

Various were the plans adopted by my zealous, devoted wife 
and myself to help the people up to a better and happier life. 
In their old ways there were but few effiarts made by the women 
to keep their homes neat and tidy, and their children or them- 
selves clean. They had no encouragements to do anything of the 
kind. Kicked and cuffed and despised, there was left in them no 
ambition to do anything more than would save them from the 
rough treatment of those who considered themselves their lords 
and masters. The result was, when they became Christians, there 
was a great deal to learn ere their simple little homes could be 
kept decently and in order. Fortunately, with a great many of 
them there was a desire to learn. A novel plan that we adopted, 
as one among many that did much good, was occasionally to go 
and dine with some of them. Our method was something like 



230 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

this.^ On the Sabbath from the pulpit I would announce that on 
Monday, if all was well, Mrs. Young and I would dine with such 
a family, mentioning the name. On Tuesday we would dine with 
some one else, and on Wednesday with some other family, and so 
on for the week. This was, of course, the first intimation any of 
these families had received that, without waiting for an invitation, 
the Missionary and his wife were coming to dine with them. 

After service they waited to ask us if they could believe their 
own ears. 

"Yes, certainly," I replied. 

" Why, we have nothing to set before you but fish," they 
would say. 

"Never mind if you have but little; we will see to the food. 
All we are anxious for you to do is to have your little house 
as clean as you can possibly make it, and yourselves and children 
as clean and nice as possible." 

In this way we would talk to the half-frightened women, who 
were at first really alarmed at the prospect of having to entertain 
us; however, our words comforted them, and they went off 
delighted. 

Our plan was generally as follows. I would start off after 
breakfast and make several pastoral visits, or attend to some 
other matters, and so arrange my forenoon work that I should be 
able to reach the Indian home, where that day we had announced 
to dine, about noon. Mrs. Young would have her own train of 
dogs harnessed up about ten o'clock. In her cariole she would 
put dishes, tablecloth, and provisions, with everything else 
requisite for a comfortable dinner considering our limited circum- 
stances. A faithful young Indian acted as her dog-driver, 
and soon she and her load were at the home of the expectant 
family, who were all excitement at the coming of the Missionary 
and his wife. 

Yery clean and tidy looked the little house and family. The 
floor had been scrubbed and rubbed until it could not be made 
whiter, and everything else was similarly polished up. As but 
very few of the houses had tables in those days, the floor was 
ever used as the substitute. On it the tablecloth was spread, and 



PECULIAR PASTORAL DUTIES. 231 

the dishes and knives and forks were arranged in order, and the 
dinner prepared. If the family had fish and potatoes, some of 
them would be cooked ; but if not, sufficient was always taken 
in the cariole. We ever found it best to let them contribute to 
the dinner if they had abundance of either fish or potatoes. 

About the time I arrived dinner would be ready, and after 
cheering words of greeting to all, even to the fat papoose in the 
board cradle, w^e sat down, picnic style, on the floor to dinner. It 
would be called in civilised lands a plain dinner, and so it was ; 
yet it was a feast to them, a banquet to us. Cheery conversation 
added to our enjoyment, and a very happy hour was thus spent. 
Then the Bible and hymn-books were brought out, and together 
we sang and read and talked about the blessed truths of that 
glorious Book. Then together we kneeled down, and " by prayer 
and supplication with thanksgiving " made our requests known 
to God ; and to us came the sweet fulfilment, " the peace of God, 
which passeth all understanding," filled our hearts. 

I generally hurried ofi" to other duties. Mrs. Young directed 
in the washing of the dishes and in putting them away, and 
then helped the woman of the house in some things about which 
she was longing for assistance. Perhaps it was a dress to be 
cut out for herself, or some garments fitted on some of the girls, 
or other similar things too intricate or difiicult for my obtuse 
mind to be able to grasp. 

Thus from house to house we would go, and by our presence 
cind cheery words encourage them to become more industrious 
and tidy. Those families never forgot these visits. With many 
of them there was a marked change in their homes, and with 
many also there was a marked improvement in their religious life. 

Once, in preaching from the text, " Behold, I stand at the 
door, and knock : if any man hear My voice, and open the door, 
I will come in," I tried to describe the blessed Redeemer coming 
to our hearts and knocking for admittance. I told them, all 
He wanted was a welcome to come in. As they made their 
little houses so clean, and gave the Missionary and his wife such 
a welcome, so the Saviour asked us to drive all sin out, and give 
Him all the place. 



232 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

" Some of you said, ' We cannot entertain the Missionary ; we 
have no food, so there will be no dinner.' But the Missionary 
and his wife brought abundance, and there was a good dinner. 
Better far is it when Jesus comes. He spreads out the feast, 
and He invites us to sit down and feast with Him. let Him 
in!" 

Such talks as these, after practical illustrations, opened many 
hearts to the Heavenly Guest. 

So many and importunate had been the pleading calls for visits 
to different places, to tell the wonderful story of the Great Spirit 
and His Son, and to teach the people to read His Book, that one 
year my canoe trip to Oxford House Mission had to be delayed 
until the summer was nearly ended. But my comrades were 
splendid fellows, and we started off in good spirits, anticipating 
a successful visit ; and we were not disappointed. 

We preached several times to the Indians, and baptized a large 
number of children ; some young couples were married, and 
we had a solemn and blessed time when celebrating the dying 
of the Lord Jesus. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is 
very much prized by the Indians, and the greatest reverence is 
always manifested during the service. The fellowship meeting 
was a very good one, and some of the testimonies given by the 
men and women, so happily rescued by the Gospel's power, were 
of great interest. 

When travelling, if the weather was good, we generally rose 
with the first blush of morn, and so were often on the way by 
four o'clock. Sometimes our route was across fine lakes, or along 
majestic rivers ; and then we were in narrow, sluggish streams, 
that were destitute of beauty or interest. One morning our way 
was down a large river, on the shores of which the fog had settled, 
completely hiding us from land. The early morning air was in- 
vigorating, and so in unison we were plying our paddles vigorously, 
and rapidly speeding along. We had seen no signs of human 
beings for days, and so were surprised and startled when several 
reports of firearms in quick succession sounded sharp and clear 
through the fog on our right. Nothing was visible through the 
gloom, but we quickly hove to, and turned our canoe in the 



A SUCCESSFUL FISH SERMON. 233 

direction from which the feu-de-joie had sounded. As we 
approached the shore human forms began to appear in ghostly- 
outline, more and more distinct, until they resolved themselves 
into a company of Indians, who were delighted to see us, and 
had been on the look-out for days. They had come sixty miles 
from the interior, and had camped on that point jutting out into 
the river, for the purpose of having a visit from us as we passed. 

The fact that they detected us as we were passing was another 
evidence of the marvellous education, in certain lines, of these 
Indians. It was very early in the morning ; our canoe was some 
hundreds of yards from the shore ; a dense fog hid us completely 
from each other. All the noise we made was the dip of our 
paddles in the water. Yet these wide-awake, alert Indians heard 
that sound, and by the rapid firing of the guns drew us to them. 

We shared their hospitality, as they had abundance of game. 
We had service with them, married a young couple, baptized 
several children, and had a pleasant time. Then on we hurried, 
since the time of open navigation was drawing to a close, and we 
did not wish to be caught in the ice, and have to walk perhaps 
scores of miles with our bedding, provisions, kettles, axes, and 
other things strapped on our backs. 

We made the greater part of the return trip all right, had 
reached Harry Lake early in the forenoon, and were rapidly 
paddhng out of the river which entered into it, when again w^e 
heard the report of guns. So anxious were we to get on that 
we hesitated about stopping. It was now later in the season 
than often in some other years. Fierce storms had raged, and 
the ice had formed on the lake and rivers. We were dreading 
these fierce fall storms, which come down very suddenly, and stir 
up those northern lakes, so that in a very short time where all 
was calm and still, great foam-crested waves go rushing madly by. 

The lake before us, into which we had just entered and which 
was several miles in diameter, was now as placid as a pond. 

To cross it now, as in wondrous beauty it spread before us, 
would be but a pleasure jaunt. The poetry of motion is to be 
found in the Indian's birch canoe, when the water is calm and 
the sky is clear. Cold-hearted prudence said, " Go on, and never 



234 BT CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

mind those Indians' signals for you to land." Our better natures 
said, "They may be in need, and have good reason for asking 
you to stop. Perhaps you can do them good." So we turned 
the head of our canoe to the shore, and were soon alongside the 
rock on which we saw them standing. They were five hunters. 
Without getting out of the canoe, we asked why they had signalled 
to us to come ashore. Their answer was one we had often heard 
before. They were hungry, and wanted help. Finding they had 
only been a few days away from the Fort, where they had got 
supplies, I asked how it was that they were so badly ofi*. Their 
reply was that they had unfortunately left their powder, which 
they were carrying in a canvas bag, out on the rock a few nights 
before. While they slept the rain came down upon them and 
ruined it, and so they could not shoot anything. I quickly said 
to one of my men, " How much food have we ? " He examined 
our limited supply, and then said there was about one square 
meal. 

We found these men were pagan Indians, whom I had met 
before, and had talked with about becoming Christians ; but all 
I could get from them was the characteristic Indian shrug of the 
shoulders, and the words, " As our fathers lived, so will we." Our 
dinner was the last of a bear we had shot a few days before. While 
it was cooking the storm which we feared began to gather, and 
ere our dinner was finished the lake looked very different from 
what it was an hour before. If we had not stopped, we could have 
easily got across it. As it was now, it would have been madness to 
have ventured out upon it. So we had to pull up our canoe, and 
there, as contentedly as possible, wait for the storm to cease. It 
raged furiously all that day and the next. The third day it began 
to moderate. What made it worse for us was the scarcity, or 
rather the entire absence, of food. We were unfortunately 
storm-bound in about the worst part of that country for game. 
It was so late in the season that the ducks and geese had gone 
south, the beaver and musk-rats were in their houses, and we 
could find nothing. On some of our trips we carried fishing- 
tackle, but this time we had nothing of the kind. Fortunately 
we had some tea and sugar. 



A THREE DAYS' FAST. 235 

Without breakfast, dinner, or supper, we had to live on as best 
we could. Before we lay down to sleep there had to be a con- 
siderable tightening of the belts, or there would be no sleep at 
all, so keen were the gnawings of hunger. I found it helpful to 
sleep to roll up my towel as hard as possible, and then crowd it 
under my tight belt over the pit of my stomach. Nearly three 
days without food was no pleasant ordeal even in missionary 
woi'k. 

We held several religious services, even though our congregation 
was a small one. We also found out that it was not at all help- 
ful to piety to try to worship on an empty stomach, and have been 
ever since in great sympathy with taose who would feed the poor 
first, and then preach to them. 

The third day one of the Indians, while walking along the 
shore, found the old bleached shoulder-blade of a bear. With his 
knife he carved out a rude fish-hook, and, taking the strings of 
his moccasins and others', he formed a line. A piece of red 
flannel was used as bait, and a small stone served as a sinker. 
With this primitive arrangement he began fishing. His method 
was to stand on a rock and throw the hook out as far as his line 
would permit, and then draw it in rapidly, like trolling. 

Strange to say, with this rude appliance he caught a fish. 
It was a pike weighing six or eight pounds. Very quickly was 
it scaled, cleaned, and put in the pot. When cooked, about a 
third of it was put on my tin plate, and placed before me with 
these words; "Please, Missionary, eat." I looked at the 
hungry men around me and said, " No, that is not the way." 
And then I put back the third of the fish with the rest, and, 
taking out my hunting knife, I counted the company, and then 
cut the fish into eight pieces, and gave each man his eighth, 
and took an equal portion myself. It was right that I should 
thus act, and it seemed to be a little thing to do, but it was a 
sermon that led those five men to become Christians. As soon as 
they had finished their portions they lit their pipes, and as they 
smoked they talked ; and as near as I and my men could make 
out, here is what they said : 

** We must listen with both ears to tn:2t Missionary. He is here 



236 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

without food, suffering from hunger, because he stopped to share 
with us his last meal. We caught a fish, and when we offered 
him a large piece he refused it, and divided equally with us all. 
He has been anxious to do us good and to have us to listen to his 
words. He has not once scolded us for asking him to stop, 
although he could have got across the lake before the storm arose, 
and, as the rest of the way is in the river, he could have gone on 
home. He has shown himself to be our friend, and we must 
listen to what he has to say." Thus they went on, and I must 
confess I paid but little attention to what they were saying. 
After a few hours more the storm went down, and we gladly 
embarked that evening in our canoe and pushed on. 

The next day we reached the Mission village of Rossville, 
making our last portage at Sea Kiver Falls, near Norway House ; 
and as we saw the fish and venison hanging on the stagings around 
the houses of the people, my patient fellows cried out, " We 
should like to laugh at the sight of food, but we are too empty 
altogether." 

We paddled the last mile as quickly as we had any other, and 
kept up our courage until we were home. As I entered the 
house, a strange faintness came over me, and all the welcome 
words I could give to my loved ones were, " My dear, we are 
starving ; please get us some food." Then I sank down exhausted. 
Loving care from one of the best and bravest of wives quickly 
brought me round again, and I was^oon ready to be off on another 
trip. 

The long winter passed away, and the welcome summer came 
at last. We have really very little of spring in that northern land. 
The transition from winter to summer is very rapid. With the dis- 
appearance of the ice from the lakes and rivers came the Indians 
in their birch canoes, from various quarters where they had spent 
the winter in trapping the fur-bearing animals. As usual they 
came to see the Missionary in goodly numbers. Among those 
who thus honoured us were five big men, who, after a few words 
of greeting, said, " We hope you have not forgotten the fish ; we 
have not, and we want to have a talk with you." 

*' Fish ? " I said. " Why, we have fish twenty-one times a week, 




17 



238 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

boiled, baked, fried, salt, dried, — good, bad, and indifferent. 1 
have seen so many fishes, I cannot think of any one in par- 
ticular." 

Then they told me about the long delay by the storm, when I 
had stopped and fed them, at the time when they had not kept 
their powder dry ; and how, when one of them caught a fish and 
offered me a good-sized piece, I divided it equally among them. 
As they brought the incident back to my memory, for there were 
60 many strange adventures occurring in the wild life that this 
one had partly faded, I said : ** Yes, I now remember there did 
happen something of the kind." 

Yery earnestly spoke up one of them and said : " We have 
never forgotten it, and all through the moons of the winter we 
have talked about it and your lessons out of the great Book, 
And while up to that time we had decided not to be Christians, 
but to die as did our fathers, we have changed our minds since 
that time you divided the fish, and we want you to teach us more 
and more of this good way." 

They were intensely in earnest and fully decided for Christ. 
So five more families settled down in the Christian village, and 
are giving evidence by their lives and conversation that the 
change wrought in them was real and abiding. Their conversion 
in this peculiar way was very cheering to us, and it was another 
les?:on to be "instant in season, out of season." 




CHAPTER XX. 

EXPLORING NEW FIELDS — THE GOSPEL BEFORE TREATIES — BIG TOM'3 
NOBLE SPIRIT OF SELF-SACRIFICE. 



IN 1873 I received a most urgent request from a deputation of 
Indians to go and visit a band of their countrymen who lived 
on the western side of Lake Winnipeg at a place called Jack 
Head. They were getting unsettled and uneasy in their minds 
in reference to their lands. Treaties were being made with other 
tribes, but nothing as yet had been done for them ; and as 
surveyors and other white men had been seen in their country, 
they were suspicious, and wanted to know what they had better do. 

So, after many councils among themselves, they decided to send 
over into the land of the Crees and Salteaux for their Missionary 
to come and give them advice, in order that they too might make 
a treaty with the Government of the Queen. 

I felt much pleased on receiving this deputation ; and as it 
would give me a grand opportunity to preach the Gospel to a 
people who had not as yet heard it, I consented to go. With 
two dog-trains, and accompanied by a couple of trusty Indians, 
we left the Eastern side of the great Lake Winnipeg about 
sunrise. We dug a hole in the snow at Pigeon Point, and there 
made a fire of some dry young willows, and enjoyed our breakfast. 
Erom that point we struck out in a south-west direction across 
the great lake. The day, although cold, was a very bright one. 
The ice was good, and our dogs were magnificent fellows ; and so 
we sped along at a rapid rate. We reached a chain of little 
islands out in the middle of the lake early in the afternoon. On 
the shore of one of them we gathered some dry wood, cleared 



240 -Sr CANOE AND LOG-TRAIN. 

away the snow, made a fire, melted some snow, and made our- 
selves a good kettle of tea. This, with some pemmican and flat 
<jakes, made us a capital dinner. 

^rom this island the western shore of the lake was just visible, 
"over thirty miles away. Towards it we pushed as rapidly as 
possible, considering that one of our Indians was quite an old 
man. When within about three miles of the shore, the report 
of fire-arms reached our ears, telling us that the Indians had 
observed our coming. Our noble dogs seemed to rejoice at the 
sound as much as ourselves, and, well knowing that their day's 
journey of over sixty miles was nearly ended, changed their 
swinging trot into a gallop ; and very soon we were at Jack Head, 
and among its plumed and painted inhabitants, by whom we were 
received in a most extraordinary manner. 

At some other places where I have gone as the first Missionary 
who ever visited them, I have had two or three hundred men, 
women, and children trying to see who could be the first to kiss 
me; but here the reception was very difierent. Night was just 
falling upon us as we drew near the shore, but there was light 
enough to observe that the narrow trail, up from the lake into 
the dark recesses of the forest, along which we must pass with 
our dog-trains, was lined with men armed with guns. 

When we were about a hundred yards from them, the foremost 
ones began firing. Tlh\s, feu-de-joie continued until we had reached 
them and had dashed through the lines of fire, for they continued 
loading and firing as rapidly as possible. Our ears were almost 
deafened with the continuous reports, and our nerves were some- 
what tried, as the younger braves especially consider it great fun 
to fire off their heavy charges of powder as close to their visitors' 
heads as possible. But a well-singed fur cap was the only 
evidence of harm having been done. 

To increase the welcome, they courteously brought out for our 
special benefit the few English and French words of which they 
were masters. Some of them were most ludicrously out of place. 
It did require a good deal of nerve to keep my face straight when 
a grave and dignified chief, who wished to inquire politely as to 
my health, for the moment dropped his own language, and in 



c 

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Hi 

o 

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a 

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242 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

good English said, "Does your mother know you're out?" 1 
found out afterwards that a roguish fur-trader had taught him 
the expression, as a very polite one to use to distinguished 
strangers. 

We quickly unharnessed and fed our faithful dogs. We hung 
up in the trees our sleds and harness beyond the reach of the 
wolfish curs, which in large numbers prowled around. If they 
could get the opportunity, they would make short work '>f the 
deer-skin and raw-hide fastenings of the sleds, and the harness 
would entirely disappear, with perhaps the exception of the 
buckles. We waited until our big dogs had given a few of the 
most impudent and saucy of these brutes a good thrashing, so 
that there was some prospect of peace ; and then, feeling that our 
outside work was attended to, and that the Indians had had time 
to get arranged in their council room, we went to the door, and 
were ceremoniously ushered in. The council house was a large 
square log building of much better construction than I had 
expected to see. It was without partitions, and was lighted by the 
brilliant council fire, and a number of fish oil lamps hanging from 
the walls. At the places of honour were seated the chiefs of the 
band. Their " thrones of state " were curiously woven mats of 
rushes made by the Indian women. Their head-dresses were 
gorgeous masses of feathers, and their costume was very pic- 
turesque. Some of them had not yet adopted the pantaloons 
of civilisation, but wore instead the scant leggings of native 
manufacture. 

From the chiefs on either side, and extending around the room 
in circles, were the old men and warriors and hunters, ranged 
according to their rank and standing. Behind these were the 
young men and boys. All were seated on the ground, and all 
were silent, as I entered. The chiefs were fine-looking men, and 
there was that indescribable hauteur now so rarely seen among 
this interesting people. Crowded out behind the men and boys, 
and in many places packed against the walls of the house, were 
the women and girls. While the men were in many instances 
well and often brilliantly dressed in their finery, the women and 
girls were wretchedly clothed, and miserable in appearance. 



THE INDIAN COUNCIL. 24S 

The house ras filled, with the exception of a small space 
reserved at the right hand of the principal chief for the visitors. 
With a good deal of ceremony we were escorted to our seats. For 
me they had obtained a little box, on which a fur robe was 
placed, as they said afterwards, that they had heard that white 
men cannot sit comfortably on the ground. On this I seated 
myself next to the chief, and my attendant Indians ranged them- 
selves beside me. During the profound silence that lasted for 
several minutes after our entrance, I had a good opportunity to 
grasp the situation. I breathed an earnest prayer to God for the 
much-needed wisdom, and that I might here preach the Gospel 
in such a way that it might be understood and accepted by this 
people, the majority of whom had not as yet heard the glad 
tidings of salvation. 

Then I rose up and, addressing the chief, I said : " I have come 
at your request from across the great Winnipeg, to visit you and 
to meet you at your council fire. I will preach to you and dis- 
cuss treaty matters with you, and will help you all I can with 
the Government. I want to find out your views about giving up 
your old paganism and becoming Christians. I also want to 
know how many children you have among you, and if you desire 
a school for them So I am here for these reasons." 

When I sat down, the calumet, the pipe of peace, was gravely 
lit, and after the chief had pufied away at it, he handed it to me. 
As I have not as yet acquired the art of smoking, I adopted the 
plan of taking hold of the long stem, which is over a yard in 
length, by the middle. The result was that when my hand was 
near my mouth, the mouthpiece of the pipe was a foot or so 
behind my head. As previously arranged, one of my obliging 
Indians was always on hand to do my smoking. 

After the pipe ceremony was over, the chief began his address 
of welcome. He said a good many kind things, and told me of 
their anxieties as to their future and that of their children. The 
tire-canoe (the steamboat) was rushing through the waters, de- 
stroying their fisheries. The white hunters, with their fire guns 
and steel traps, were fast killing ofi" the game. The surveyor was 
driving his lines of stakes into the ground, and the white peop'^ 



244 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

more numerous than mosquitoes, were crowding in on the prairies. 
They had nothing but peace in their hearts, but still he could 
not help thinking that a treaty ought to be made with them 
before the fire canoe or the surveyor came. They were powerless 
themselves to speak before the Queen's representative, the 
Governor. They had heard of the Missionary's love for the 
Indian, and so they had sent across the great Winnipeg for him, 
and their hearts were glad that he had come. With their right 
hands they had fired ofi" their guns, which all said, " Welcome ! " 
With his left hand he had handed the pipe of peace, which also 
from the heart again said, " Welcome ! " Thek" hearts were all 
glad that with their eyes they saw the Missionary among them. 
Their ears were now open to hear what he had to say about their 
future, and what he thought the Queen's men would do for them. 

Then he sat down on his mat, and I rose up and in reply said : 
" Before I dare talk to you about treaties, and lands, and your 
future for this life, and that of your children, I must speak 
about something more important." 

This seemed to astonish them, and they said : " What has he 
got to talk about that is more important than the treaty 1 " 

" Yes," 1 answered, " I have something more important than 
the treaty, and something to say about One greater than the 
Queen, or the Governor she sends; for I must first talk about 
our great God, Whom the Queen and we all must love if we 
would be happy. The Great Spirit, our good Father in heaven, 
wants to make a treaty with us ; and if we will be willing to 
comply with His conditions, it will be the best treaty ever made, 
for it will bring us joy and happiness for this life and the life to 
come." 

Loud were their words of approval that I should thus speak to 
them ; and so I preached to them, making use of my trusted and 
careful interpreter, Timothy Bear, who is as thorough a master 
of the Saulteaux language as he is of the Cree. Considering that 
it was the first sermon they had ever heard, and that their ideas 
of our worship were very crude, they behaved remarkably well, 
seeing they were a crowd of plumed and painted savages, and. 
Saulteaux besides. They kept up a constant smoking through all 



PREACHING UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 245 

the service, except when we were singing or at prayer. Men, 
women, and children were all at it, and it seemed as though they 
were always at it. 

Before I got through my sermon I was almost suffocated by 
the smoke. The cloud, not that for which we had prayed, over- 
whelmed us, blinded us, and nearly smothered us. It was the 
cloud of their vile weeds and tobacco. As well as I could I talked 
to them of God and His love, and of the way of salvation, and the 
blessings which would come to them if they would cheerfully and 
heartily accept Him. We then sang the Jubilee hymn, 

"Blow ye the trumpet, blow." 

This hymn has been translated into their language. The tune 
we used was " Lennox," and I urged them to help us to sing. I 
gave out the hymn verse by verse, and said, " Sing as well as you 
can." Some followed very well, and others, while trying to follow 
the words, seemed to have substituted for the tune one of their 
Indian lilts. After the religious service was over, we hastily 
boiled our kettles, made tea, and had our suppers, for we had 
travelled far, and were very hungry. The Indians had nothing 
themselves but tea, fish, and tobacco. I never saw such smokers. 
Even little unweaned children were adepts in the use of the pipe. 

After tea the ceremonious speeches were delivered. The head 
chief was of course the first to speak again. His address was very 
complimentary. He said he had been gazing all day long across 
the great lake watching for my coming. Although it was several 
moons since, I had promised that in this one, if possible, I would 
be on hand. My coming just at the time I did, showed that I 
was a man of my word, and could be depended upon. 

" We feel," he said, *' that we Indians are but children in the 
presence of the whites. Great changes are taking place. The 
buffalo and deer once so abundant are fast disappearing. Our 
fathers told us long ago that the buffalo was the special gift of 
the Great Spirit to the Indian, and that when it disappeared the 
Indian must go also. But in your words you tell us good things 
! I bout the Great Spirit, and we are thankful that you have come. 
We wish you could live among us and thus talk to us." 



24G BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN, 

Thus he and others talked for a long time. 

We went over the business of the approaching treaty, and I 
told them all I knew about the matter, and assured them that 
they need have no fear or alarm. The Dominion Government 
would treat them honourably and fairly. More tobacco was 
smoked, and extra kettles of tea were made and drunk, and then 
I was told that as an additional mark of their thankfulness to me 
for thus coming with these assuring and quieting words, they now 
wished to give me the tribal ceremony of the greatest welcome, 
which was only given at rare intervals, and then only when the 
best of news came to them. 

The room was quickly rearranged for the ceremony. The 
crowd in the centre of the room was moved back, much to the 
discomfort of the women and girls, some of whom were roughly 
ejected to make room for their tyrants and masters. Then some 
drums were brought in, and between twenty and thirty of the 
most active and agile young men, dressed, or rather undressed, in 
their picturesque way, seated themselves closely around the men 
who were to act as drummers. The first part of the ceremony 
was supposed to be a kind of a concert, part musical and part 
pantomime. 

To describe it with its monotonous drumming and shrill songs, 
which they said were words of welcome, is altogether beyond my 
powers. At certain places in the songs, ten or twenty of the 
young men would spring up in their places, and without moving 
their feet from the ground would go through such strong, 
undulating, graceful motions, and yet all in such perfect unison 
with each other and with the music, that I was almost fascinated 
by the strange weird beauty of the scene. 

Then their programme changed, and rapidly they glided around 
in simple and intricate movements, but all in perfect time to the 
songs and drums. 

Not satisfied with giving me the welcome of their own tribe, 
they also gave me the still more exciting Sioux welcome, and also 
that of the wild Crees in the Saskatchewan. Until long after 
midnight these scenes were being enacted. Then word was 
passed round that the supply of tobacco devoted to the welcome 




A YOUNG INDIAN WITH HIS CANOE AT THE EOOT OF TEE RUDE WATER SLIDE. 



248 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

ceremonies was exhausted, for through all of these scenes the 
pipes were only out of the mouths of the performers. All the 
rest of the crowd smoked without apparent cessation. 

This intimation of the exhaustion of the supply of tobacco 
abruptly closed the ceremony. Such is their custom. Some 
more tea was made and drunk by the chiefs. Then the Mission- 
ary's hand was shaken, and the people quickly flitted away to 
their wigwams. A supper, consisting of beautiful fish, called 
" gold eyes," which are caught by the young Indians in the rapid 
river at the foot of the Rude Water Slide, was then much 
enjoyed. 

One of my faithful Indians brought in my camp bed, and 
unrolled it near the council fire. I rolled myself up in a blanket 
and buffalo robe, asid there on the ground I soon fell asleep, for I 
was very weary. At daybreak we arose, and had our breakfast 
cooked at the council fire. While eating it, many of the Indians 
crowded in to see us ere we left for our home across Lake 
Winnipeg. With them we held another religious service. I 
talked kindly and faithfully to them, and urged them to decide- 
speedily to forsake their old pagan habits and become Christians ; 
telling them that now, as they were making treaties and entering 
upon a new way of obtaining a living, they should adopt the 
religion of the great Book. 

With them we sang a hymn, and then kneeled down and 
prayed. Devoutly and reveiently did they bow with us at the 
Mercy-seat. When we rose up from our knees, a young man 
spoke up on behalf of the young people. He said they were glad 
I had come, and hoped I would come again. Their minds were 
dark ; would I soon come back and biing in the light 1 

I said all I could to encourage them to seek after the great 
Light, and promised to come again. We harnessed up our dogs, 
and, in company with my attendant Indians, I started for home. 
A wild blizzard storm came down upon us from the north when 
we were far out from land. We toiled on through it as well as 
we could, although at times unable to see a dozen feet ahead of 
us. Often we got bewildered by its fury, as it seemed to circle 
and eddy around us ; but Jack was in the foremost train, and 



BIG TOM'S SELFSACRIFICE, 249 

so we safely reached the other shore, and did not for many a 
day cease to think about some of the strange features of this 
adventurous trip, in which in after years we found much real 
good had been done. 

As we have been referring to treaties and the excitement there 
was in the minds of the Indians in reference to the new relation- 
ship in which they would stand to the Government, it may be well 
here to put upon record the noble spirit of one of our Indians, on 
whom honours were desired to be conferred by his people. 

When the Dominion Government of Canada took possession 
of the territories so long held by the Hudson's Bay Company, 
they began to make arrangements for treaties with all the Indian 
tribes. Word came out to us at Bossville Mission House, that 
the Government wished the Indians to elect one of their number 
as chief, with whom they could make a treaty, and whom they 
could confer with if difficulties arose in the future. Tliey wished 
the people to select a wise, judicious man, in whom all confidence 
could be placed. 

Naturally the Indians were very much excited at this new 
order of things, and so there were many councils and much 
speech-making. A good deal of curiosity was expressed to know 
what benefits would result, and how much money would be 
received by each of them. While there was still much uncertainty 
about these things, it had become well known that the one 
selected to be chief would fare very well. He would have more 
money and presents than any other. He would be presented 
with a silver medal with the face of the " Great Mother," the 
Queen, upon it, and would be honoured with the personal friend- 
ship of the Governor, and with other honours naturally dear to 
the Indian. 

After many councils the people came to the almost unanimous 
conclusion that Big Tom should be their chief. In a full council, 
with much ceremony, they offered him the position. Instead of 
seizing the proffered honours with avidity, his face became very 
grave, and it was evident he was full of suppressed emotion. 
When he arose, as all supposed, to indicate his acceptance of the 



250 BY CANOE AND DQG-TRAIN. 

position, and to express his thanks, they were very much surprised 
to hear him quietly say that he could not answer fully now, but 
desired a day to think it over. So he asked the council to adjourn 
until the following morning. 

Of course this request was complied with, and, full of curiosity, 
the people thronged the building the next day. I had naturally 
taken a deep interest in the matter, as, next to their spiritual 
interests, I was anxious to do all I could for their temporal 
welfare. So I attended many of their meetings. The council 
was opened in due form, and then Big Tom arose to give his 
answer. He began quietly and slowly, but warmed up a good 
deal before he ended. 

He spoke, in substance, as follows : — 

" Long ago, when the Missionaries came and preached to us, 
for a time we refused to listen to them, and would not become 
Christians. Then, after a while, many of us who had been in 
the darkness began to feel in our hearts that what they told us 
was for our good ; and so we accepted of these things, and they 
have done us good. When I got the assurance in my heart that 
I was a child of God, and had a soul that should live for ever, I 
found that in working out its salvation I had something great 
to live for. To do this was the great object of my life. By-and- 
by I married, and then, as my family increased and began to 
grow up around me, I found I had another object for which 
to live. To help them along in the way to heaven, as well as 
to work for their comfort here, was my second great work. 
Then, after a while, the Missionary gave me the charge of a class. 
I was to meet with them, and we were to talk together about 
our souls and God's love to us, and to do all we could to help 
each other on to the better land. To do my duty as the leader 
was a great and important work. While attending to these 
duties, I found I had another object for which to live. These 
three things, — 1. My own soul's salvation; 2. The salvation of 
my family; and 3. To do all I can to help and encourage the 
members of my class to be true and faithful to Him Who died 
for us, that we may see Him by-and-by, — are the uppermost 
things in my heart. 



ALL FOR CHRIST. 251 

" I am thankful for your confidence in me in asking me to be 
your chief. I know it is a great honour, but I see it will have 
many responsibilities, and that whoever has the position will 
have to attend to many other things than those which I have my 
mind set upon. So you must appoint some one else, for with 
those three things I cannot let anything else interfere. I thank 
you, my brothers, and love you all." 

In this strain he went on for a long while, and then sat 
down. No one thought any the less of the noble Christian 
man ; and David Rundle, who was appointed, ever found in Big 
Tom a wise and judicious counsellor and friend. I was thrilled 
by the address and the spirit manifested. How few white men 
in like circumstances would have had grace and self-denial 
enough to have acted in a similar manner ! 




CHAPTER XXI. 



THE MISSION AMONG THE SAULTEAUX ESTABLISHED — NELLY'S DEATH- 
MI SSI ONAEY ANNIVERSARIES ATTENDED — REV. TFIOMAS CROSBY — 
TRAVELLING ADVENTURES — MORE WORKING WITH DOGS — OUR NEW 
HOME — VISIT FROM A CHIEPTAINESS — CLOSING WORDS. 

AFTER a great deal of correspondence it was decided that 
I should begin the work at Beren's River among the 
Saulteaux Indians who lived there, and in little bands scattered 
along the eastern shores of that great lake, and in the interior, 
most of them in extreme poverty and superstitious degradation. 
A few of them, as the result of acquaintance with our Christian 
Indians of other places, were groping after the great Light, and 
trying to lift themselves up socially in life. 

The Rev. John H. Ruttan was appointed to Norway House, 
the Rev. Orrin German to Oxford House, and I was put down 
for Beren's River. 

As it was advisable that I should remain at Norway House 
until my successor. Brother Ruttan, arrived, and as there was 
only one opportunity for a long time for Mrs. Young and the 
children to return to Red River, they availed themselves of it, 
poor and miserable as it was. 

With loving " farewells " I wished them success on their 
journey, and saw them off. Sandy Harte, our adopted Indian 
lad, and I sailed down to the old Norway House, about twenty 
miles from our home, and there saying " Good-bye," we returned 
to our lonely home. 

Mrs. Young had with her our three darling children, Eddie, 
Lilian, and Nelly. All were well and full of the best of spirits 



NELLY'S DEATH. 253 

as the sail was hoisted, and we saw them glide away before the 
favouring gale. Precious Nelly we never saw again. So terrible 
was the heat, and so miserable were the accommodations in that 
little open boat, without deck or awning or cabin, that the child 
sickened and died. • 

As we have referred to this sad event in an earlier chapter, wo 
need not dwell upon it here. What the poor mother felt and 
suffered as, sick herself, she saw her beautiful child attacked by 
brain fever, and then droop and die amidst surroundings so sad 
and trying, can be realised by but few. God knows all about it. 
As mentioned, the venerable Archdeacon Cowley's sympathy did 
much to raise up Mrs. Young's crushed spirits and dry. her bitter 
tears. 

I remained at Norway House until Brothers Ruttan and German 
arrived ; and then, after having spent a Sabbath with them, and 
seen Mr. Kuttan and his noble young wife cheerfully and hope- 
fully entered upon their blessed work among the people, to whom 
I had become very much attached, I started off for Beren's Biver. 
Sandy Harte, the Nelson Biver lad, went with me as far as my 
first camping place, and spent the night with me. We read the 
sacred Word together, and then, after singing a Hymn, we 
bowed in prayer. We lay down together, but we had so much 
to say, that hours passed away ere we slept. 

Early the next morning we were aroused from our slumbers 
by the cry of " Fair wind," and so no time 'nnst be lost. I was 
very much surprised to find that during the night some scores 
of Indians had come on in their canoes from the Mission, although 
it was many miles away, to shake hands with their Missionary 
once more, and say a final " Farewell." 

After a hasty breakfast we assembled on the shore for 
prayers. We sang in Cree a favourite hymn; 

" Jesus, my All, to heaven is gone, 
He Whom I fix my hopes upon. 
His path I see, and I'll pursue 
The narrow way till Him I view." 

We closed by singing the Doxology, and then, after prayers, 

1 sadly said " Good-bye," and shook hands again with them all. 

18 



254 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

I found it hard to break away from them. Many of them were 
in tears, who seldom wept before. Coming to my beloved Sandy 
last, I put my arm around his neck and kissed him as there he 
stood, weeping as though his heart would break. With a " God 
bless you all," I sprang into the boat, which was quickly pushed 
off from the shore, and then the long journey to the land of the 
Saulteaux was begun. 

After some of the usual incidents of travel I reached Beren's 
River, and was most enthusiastically received by the Indians. 
The man who had said, " Our eyes were dim from long watching," 
now said that they were dim with tears of joy that he had lived 
to see the day when a Missionary of their own lived among them. 
As I was to leave before the lake froze up, every day was precious. 
I pitched a canvas tent, and in it lived for several weeks. All 
assembled once every week-day for religious worship, and then, 
when that was over, the Missionary and men took off their coats and 
went to work. The spot for the Mission was decided upon, and 
then acre after acre of the forest from this place, -and aLo from 
where each Indian had decided to build, was rapidly being cleared 
of the forest trees. We held three services every Lord's day, and 
saw that the school for the children was faithfully kept up. 

Getting everything in good shape, and leaving Martin Papanekis, 
a devout and trusty Christian Indian from the Norway House 
Mission, in charge, I started in a birch canoe, with Big Tom as 
principal canoe-man, for Red River. 

Of our adventures and dangers I need not write, although 
there were several on that long journey in such a frail craft. 
One complete upset chilled me most thoroughly, as the water was 
about down to freezing point. At one place, where we tried to 
push on all night, we were tantalised by some most brilliant 
"Will-o'-the-wisp" lights, which our experienced Indians thought 
were decoy signals put out by wicked Indians to bewilder or 
injure us. Canoe travelling on this great lake is risky busi- 
ness. The storms come up with surprising rapidity, and the 
waves rise up like those of the ocean. However, we had a good 
canoe, and Big Tom was in charge ; and He Who holds the wind-j 
and the waves in His fists was our Father and our Friend. 



MISSIONARY MEETINGS. 255 

At Eed River I called on the Rev. Archdeacon Cowley at his 
luJian Mission home. Yery cordial and sympathetic was he, 
as I introduced myself, and told him I had come to accept of his 
kind offer, and seek in some part of the quiet graveyard of 
his Mission Church a little place where I could bury the body 
of my darling child. He at once went with me and showed me 
all kindness and help, as also did Mr. Flett and his family, of the 
Hudson's Bay Company's Service. As we laid away the beauti- 
ful child, and the solemn words. " Earth to earth, dust to dust," 
were uttered, we felt that there was now an additional tie holding 
us to that country and work. 

In due time I reached Toronto, and there met the Missionary 
Secretaries, and obtained from them an outline of the work before 
me. Here it was my great joy to meet for the first time the 
Rev. Thomas Crosby, the energetic and successful Missionary 
from British Columbia, who has been wonderfully owned of God 
in his glorious work. Uncalled by any Church, but impelled 
by the good Spirit, shortly after his conversion he made his 
way to British Columbia at his own expense, and offered himself 
to one of the Missionaries there as a volunteer teacher among the 
poor, neglected Indians, who, uncared for by any one, were 
prowling around the cities and towns of that new Province^ 
living lives of shame and sin. Great indeed was his success. 

He has also established flourishing Missions at Fort Simpson 
and elsewhere in the north of that land, and through his Ijibours 
a blessed work began among the Indians in Alaska. Some ol 
them, hearing wonderful stories about the black-coated man and 
his mysterious Book, came hundreds of miles, that they might 
have their curiosity satisfied. They returned with more than 
they anticipated. They reached the Mission, and from Mr. 
Crosby, and also from some of their own tribes who lived there, 
they heard the " old, old story " for the first time in their lives. 
It was indeed wonderful news to them, but they accepted it with 
a simple faith that was pleasing to God, and brought into their 
hearts the consciousness of His smile and benediction. Rejoicing 
in this new-found treasure they returned to their own land, and 
there they published the glad tidings of God's love, and added the 



256 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

testimony of their own personal experience that they had a new 
joy in their hearts, the result of their having accepted this 
Saviour. Great indeed was the excitement among the people. 
Some mocked, and some opposed and tried to persecute, but many 
were affected by what their companions had brought them, and 
.believing their testimony entered into their joy. 

-Of course the new converts could give but little instruction ; 
-and so, as the work proceeded, it was decided that a deputation 
must go for the Missionary and bring him into their land. Mr. 
Crosby responded, and went over to Alaska, and spent some time 
among them. God blessed his labours, and many of the Indians 
gave up their paganism and became Christians. Convinced that 
a grand opening was here for Missionary triumph, Mr. Crosby 
wrote to the Methodist Episcopal Mission Hooms, New York, 
urging the officials there to enter this open door and begin 
work here. The answer was that it was impossible ; that their 
other fields absorbed all their income, and so there was no pro- 
spect of their being able to respond to his appeal. 

Not to be discouraged very easily, Mr. Crosby next wrote to the 
Presbyterian Board at Philadelphia, and told of these poor sheep 
in the wilderness ; and here, thank God, he met with success, 
and there was a glad response; and the successful Presbyterian 
Missions and Indian Schools in that land to-day are the out- 
growth of that work. 

In company with this heroic Brother Crosby, who had so much 
to tell, I spent several months in attending Missionary Meetings. 
We had blessed times. Immense crowds came out to hear us, 
and, if I am not mistaken, the increase in the Missionary income 
that year was the greatest in its history. In all, we attended 
eighty-nine Missionary Anniversary Services in different Canadian 
towns and cities between Sarnia and Quebec. 

A very happy week was spent with my family at " Oaklands," 
Toronto, the laeautiful residence of the Honourable Senator 
Macdonald, the Lay Treasurer of our Missionary Society. Of 
Senator Macdonald's great kindness, and tangible evidences of 
sympathy, neither few nor slight, if I should here write, I should 
only be mentioning what scores of Ministers and Missionaries 



RETURN TO THE WILD NORTH LAND. 267 

could say had been their own fortunate experiences with this 
large-hearted philanthropist. Eternity alone will be able to 
reveal the full measure of what, with a glad heart, he has been 
constantly and unostentatiously doing for many of Christ's 
ambassadors, and among the different Churches. 

As soon as the season for holding Missionary Meetings ended, 
I returned to my Indian work. I left the Province of Ontario on 
the 6th of April, and reached Beren's Eiver after twenty-three 
days of continuous travelHng. On the railroads in Minnesota and 
Dacota we were detained by snowdrifts, which so blocked up our 
way that we had some very unpleasant experiences. After 
leaving the railroad I had to travel two hundred and fifty miles 
in a stage on runners over the snowy prairies. We had some 
blizzards to encounter, and one night, when we were fortunate 
enough to have reached one of the stopping places, the storm 
raged like a hurricane. The house was built of logs, and not 
well finished, and the snow sifted in through the wide cracks 
between these logs and on to our beds. My experiences in wintry 
camps served me a good purpose now, and so pulling up the hood 
of my overcoat, and then completely covering myself up under 
the bedclothes, I slept soundly through the raging storm and 
driving snow. When we were called up to eat a hasty breakfast 
and resume our journey, I found several inches of snow on the 
top of my bed, but I had suffered no inconvenience from it. With 
my travelling companions in the other beds it was very different. 
The upper storey, in which our beds were placed, was all one 
room, and so the snow had equally assailed us all. But, not 
being able to sleep with their heads completely covered up, they 
had suffered much, and were in anything but an amiable mood 
when we resumed our journey. 

At Winnipeg I was cordially welcomed by my beloved Chairman, 
the Rev. George Young, who had ever taken the deepest interest 
in my work, and done all he could to add to our comfort and 
efficiency in its prosecution. Fortunate indeed were we, poor 
Missionaries in the interior, Avhether it was north or west, that 
we had such a man to look after our supplies, and see that we 
were not cheated or swindled by those who once a year sent them 



i58 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

out to the poor toilers in their lonely fields. For years we had 
no money in our northern Missions. Our plan was, once a year 
to receive from Winnipeg all that our salary would purchase for 
us in the shape of supplies that were needed in our own home, 
and also with which to pay teacher, interpreter, guides, canoe- 
men, dog-drivers, and others who might be employed in the 
prosecution of the work. 

As all the work of purchasing and packing these things 
depended very much upon the Chairman, fortunate indeed did 
all of us, who had Dr. Young as our Chairman, consider ourselves 
to be. 

My dogs and Indians were waiting for me, having come down 
from the north to meet me, as arranged months before. We 
purchased our supplies, loaded our sleds, and away we started by 
dog-train on the last part of the long journey. We had left 
Toronto in a splendid railroad carriage ; we ended the trip of 
over twenty days' duration with dog sleds. 

Very quickly did I come back to the wild life of the North 
after the six months of incessant pleading the cause of the Indians 
before the large and enthusiastic audiences in our towns and cities. 
The days of hard and rapid travelling over the frozen surface of 
Lake Winnipeg, — the bitter cold that often made us shiver in 
spite of the violent exercise of running, — the intense and almost 
unbearable pain caused by the reflection of the brilliant rays 
of the sun upon the snowy waste, — the bed in the hole in the 
snow with no roof above us but the star-decked vault of heaven, 
— were all cheerfully endured again and successfully passed 
through. 

Yery cordial was my welcome by the Saulteaux at my new 
field. I was very much gratified to find that they had had a 
successful winter, and that those left in charge had worked faith- 
fully and well. A little log house, twelve by twenty-four feet, 
had been put up, and in one end of it I was installed as my 
present home. My apartment was just twelve feet square, but 
to me it was all-sufficient. It was kitchen, bedroom, dining-room, 
study, reception-room, and everything else. Two of my grandest 
dogs. Jack and CufFy, shared it with me for months, and we had 



HARD WORK IN THE FORESTS. 



259 



a happy and busy time. With several hard-working Indians, two 
of them being Big Tom and Martin Papanekis from Norway 
House, we toiled hard at getting out the timber and logs for our 
new church, school-house, and parsonage. We had. to go a 




>:^'fj^' 



f 






TOILING ALONG ON SNOW-SHOES THROUGH THE WOODS. 



distance of twelve or fourteen miles over the frozen lake ere we 
reached the large island on which we found timber sufficiently 
large for our purpose. Here we worked as hard as possible. 
Often we had to go in miles from the shore to find what we 



260 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

wanted. To make our work more difficult, we found but few 
large trees growing close together. So, for nearly every large 
stick of timber, we had to make a new trail through the deep 
snow to the lake. The snow was from three to four feet deep. 
The under-brush was thick, and the fallen trees were numerous. 
Yet under these discouragements we worked. We cut down the 
trees, measured them, squared them, and got them ready for 
their places. Then we hitched one end on a strong dog sled, and 
attached one dog to this heavy load. How four dogs could drag 
these heavy sticks of timber was indeed surprising. The principal 
pieces were thirty-six feet long and ten inches square. Yet my 
gallant St. Bernards and Newfoundlands would take these heavy 
loads along at a rate that was astounding. We had thirty-two 
dogs at work, and rapidly did our piles of timber and logs accumu- 
late. 

Dressed as one of the natives, with them I toiled incessantly 
for the material upbuilding of the Mission. We had delightful 
services every Sabbath. Nearly every Indian within some miles 
of the place attended, and good results were continually cheering 
our hearts. Although it was so late in the season when I 
arrived, yet there was not, for weeks after, any sign of the spring, 
except in the lengthening days and increasingly brilliant sun. 
For a long time the vast snowy wastes remained crisp and hard. 
Very glorious was the atmosphere, for there were no fogs, no 
mists, no damps. The sky seemed always cloudless, the air was 
always clear. 

Nearly every morning during those Aveeks of hard toil we 
were treated to the strange sights which the beautiful and vivid 
mirage brought to us. Islands and headlands, scores of miles 
away, were lifted up from below the horizon, and shown to us as 
distinctly as though close at hand. With but few exceptions our 
nights also were very glorious, especially when the Northern 
Lights, taking this vast Lake Winnipeg as their field of action, 
held one of their grand carnivals. Generally beginning in the far 
north, with majestic sweep they came marching on, filling the very 
heavens with their coloured bars, or flashing, ever-changing, yet 
always beautiful clouds of brightness and glory. Sometimes they 



OUR NEW MISSION ESTABLISHED. 261 

would form a magnificent corona at the zenith, and from its 
dazzling splendour would shoot out long columns of different 
coloured lights, which rested upon the far-off frozen shores. Often 
have I seen a cloud of light flit swiftly across these tinted bars, 
as if a hand were sweeping the strings of some grand harp. So 
startling was the resemblance, that there was an instinctive 
listening for the sound that we used to think ought to come. 
Sometimes I have suddenly stopped my dogs and men, when we 
have been travelling amidst these fascinating and almost bewilder- 
ing glories of the heavens above us, and we have listened for that 
rustling sound of celestial harmony which some Arctic travellers 
have affirmed they have heard, and which it seemed to me so 
evident that we ought to hear. But although for years I have 
watched and listened, amidst the death stillness of these snowy 
wastes, no sounds have I ever heard. Amidst all their flashing 
and changing gioiies these resplendent beauties ever seemed to 
me as voiceless as the stars above them. 

When spring arrived, and with its open water came our first 
boats, we brought out from Ked Kiver a quantity of building 
mateiial and two experienced carpenters. Then actively went on 
the work of building a Mission House, and also a large school- 
house, which for a time was to serve as a church also. We called 
it " the Tabernacle," and for a good while it served its double 
purpose admirably. 

Leaving the carpenters and Indians at work, I went into the 
then small village of Winnipeg for Mrs. Young and our two little 
children, who were now returning from Ontario, where they had 
remained among friends, until I, who had so long preceded them, 
should have some kind of a habitation prepared for them in the 
wilderness. For weeks we had to live in my little twelve-by- 
twelve log-cabin. It was all right in cold or dry weather, but as 
its construction was peculiar, it failed us most signally in times of 
rain and wet. The roof was made of poplar logs, laid up against 
the roof pole, and then covered very thickly with clay. When 
this hardened and dried, it was a capital roof against the cold ; 
but when incessant rains softened it, and the mud in great pieces 



262 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

fell through upon bed, or table, or stove, or floor, it was not 
luxurious or even comfortable living. One morning we found 
that during the night a mass, weighing over five pounds, had 
fallen at the feet of our youngest child, as she, unconscious of 
danger, slept in a little bed near us. However, after a while, we 
got into our new house, and great were our rejoicings to find our- 
selves comfortably settled, and ready for undivided attention to 
the blessed work of evangelisation. 

While there was a measure of prosperity, yet the Mission did 
not advance as rapidly as 1 had hoped it would. My hopes had 
been that the surplus population at Norway House would have 
settled there, and that many from the interior directly east 
would, as they had stated, come out and help to build up the 
Mission. 

Opposition in various quarters arose, and the Norway House 
Crees preferred to go farther south ; and finally seventy families 
preferred that place, and there they have formed a fiourishing 
additional Mission. Thus the work advanced, although not all 
along the lines which some of us had marked out. With patient 
endurance my noble wife and I toiled on. Theie was room for 
the exercise of the graces of courage, and hope, and faith, and 
patience ; but a measure of success was ever ours, and we saw 
signs of progress, and had every now and then some clear and 
remarkable cases of conversion from the vilest degradation and 
superstition into a clear and conscious assurance of Heaven's 
favour and smile. 

One summer there came from the east to visit us a chieftaincss 
with several of her followers. Her husband had been the chief 
of his people, and when he died she assumed his position, and 
maintained it well. Her home was several days' journey away 
in the interior, but she had heard of the Missionary who had 
come to live among the Saulteaux and teach them out of the 
great Book. Was not she a Saulteaux, and had not she a 
right to know of this new way, about which so much was being 
said? With these thoughts in her mind she came to see us. 
When she came to the Mission, we saw very quickly that here 
was an interesting woman. We had several interviews, and 



VISIT OF A CHIEFTIANESS. 263 

Mrs. Young and myself did all we could to lead this candid, 
inquiring mind into the right way. Before she left I gave her 
a sheet of foolscap paper, and a long lead pencil, and showed 
her how to keep her reckoning as to the Sabbath day. I had, 
among many other lessons, described the Sabbath as one day 
in seven for rest and worship ; and she had become very much 
interested, and promised to try to keep it. 

As she pushed out in her canoe from our shore, her last 
importunate request was, that as soon as possible I would visit 
her and her people in their own land. So many were my 
engagements that I could not take up this additional one until 
about the middle of the winter following. When, with a couple 
of Indian attendants, with our dog-trains, we dashed into her 
village, great indeed was her joy at seeing us, and very demon- 
strative was the welcome given. She had put up on a staging 
outside in the cold a couple of reindeer heads, keeping them 
there preserved by the frost until I should arrive. Yery quickly 
were they taken down to cook. The hair was singed off, and 
then they were cut up with an axe into pieces weighing 
about two pounds each. Soon they were in the pot, boiling for 
our dinner. I furnished some tea, and while everything was 
being got ready by a few, the rest of us sat down and talked. 
They were indeed anxious for instruction in spiritual things. I 
read and, through my interpreter, explained truth after truth, to 
which they gave the most earnest attention. Then we stopped 
a little while, that we might have dinner. As I and my men were 
the guests of this chieftain ess I did not get out my tin plates, 
and cups, and knives and forks, but sat down beside her in her 
wigwam with the rest of the people, completing a circle around 
the big wooden dish, in which the large pieces of cooked reindeer 
heads had been thrown. I asked a blessing on the food, and 
then dinner began. The plan was for each person to help 
himself or herself to a piece of the meat, holding it in the 
hand, and using hunting knife or teeth, or both together, to get 
off the pieces and eat them. 

I am sorry to say my lady friend on the right, this chieftainess, 
had very dirty-looking hands, and long, strong, brilliant teeth. 



264 BY CANOE AND DOO-TRAIN. 

She took her piece of meat, and, turning it over and over in her 
hands, began tearing and cutting at it in a way that was not 
very dainty, but extremely otherwise. After biting off a few 
mouthfuls, she threw it down on the dirty ground of the wigwam 
before her, and, inserting one of her greasy hands in the bosom 
of her dress, she pulled out a large piece of soiled paper, and, 
unfolding it before me, she began in excited tones to tell me how 
she had kept the tally of the " praying days," for thus they 
style the Sabbath. Greatly interested in her story, and in her 
wild joyous way of describing her efforts to keep her record 
correct, I stopped eating and looked over her paper, as she 
talked away. Imagine my great delight to find that through 
the long months which had passed since I had given her that 
paper and pencil, she had not once missed her record. This 
day was Thursday, and thus she had marked it. Her plan 
had been to make six short marks, and then a longer one for 
Sunday. 

" Missionary," she said very earnestly, " sometimes it seemed 
as though I would fail. There were times when the ducks or 
geese came very near, and I felt like taking my gun and 
firing. Then I remembered that it was the praying day, and 
so I only put down the long mark and rested. I have not set 
a net, or caught a fish, or fired a gun, on the praying day since 
I heard about it at your house so far away." 

Of course I was delighted at all this, and said some kind words 
of encouragement. Then we resumed our dinner. I had my 
piece of meat in one hand, and with the knife in the other was 
endeavouring to cut ofi" the pieces and eat them. The good 
woman replaced the precious paper and pencil in her bosom, and 
then picked up her piece of meat from the dirty ground, and, 
after turning it over and over in her hands, began with her 
strong teeth to tear off the large mouthfuls. All at once she 
stopped eating, and, looking intently at my piece, she said, " Your 
piece is not a very good one, mine is very fine,'' and before I 
could protest, or say a word, she quickly exchanged the pieces ; 
and from her portion, which she put in my hand, I had to finish 
JDV dinner. As what she did is considered an act of great 



CLOSING WORDS. 265 

kindness, of course I would not grieve her by showing any 
annoyance. So I quietly smothered any little squeamish n ess 
that might naturally have arisen, and finished my dinner, and 
then resumed the religious service. Soon after, she became a 
decided Christian. 

The following extracts are from the last letter which I sent 
to the Mission Eooms, ere, owing to the failure of Mrs. Ycuno-'s 
health, we left the land of the Saulteaux for work in the 
Master's Vineyard elsewhere. The Mission had now been fully 
established, a comfortable parsonage built and well furnished. 
A large school-house bad been erected, which answered also for 
the religious services until the church should be finished. Many 
had been our trials and hardships, and there had been a great 
deal of opposition, much of it from places not expected. But to 
be enabled to send such tidings from such a place, where I had 
gone as the first Missionary, and among such a wicked and 
degraded tribe as were these Saulteaux, so different from the 
more peaceful Crees, caused my heart to rejoice, that He Who 
had permitted me to go and sow the seed had also given me 
the honour of seeing some golden sheaves gathered in for the 
heavenly garner : — 

" Last Sabbath was perhaps the most interesting and en- 
couraging one we have spent on the Mission. Our place of 
worship was crowded, and many had to remain outside. Some 
of the old Indians who, in spite of our pleadings, had clung to 
their paganism, renounced it on that day in a most emphatic 
manner. Seven of them, after being questioned as to their 
thorough renunciation of their old superstitions, and as to their 
present faith in Christ, were then and there baptized. 

" At the afternoon service several more were baptized; among 
them an old man, perhaps seventy years of age, with his wife 
and grandchild. He had never been inside a Christian sanctuary 
before. He had just arrived from the vast interior eastward 
of this place, the country I visited under so many difficulties 
last April. 

" The old man brought down with him the Bible and hymn- 
book which I had given him months ago. He stated that 



266 BY CANOE AND DOG-TRAIN. 

although he could not read them very well, yet he kept them 
close to him by day, and under his pillow by night, and tried to 
keep in his memory all he had heard of what was written in 
them, as I had told him. 

*' I have been teaching the school myself for months, as my 
faithful teacher, Timothy Bear, is poorly. Among the scholars I 
have none more attentive than the old man and his wife. Seated 
on the ground with the Rev. James Evans' Syllabic Characters 
marked out with a pen on a piece of paper in their hands, and 
the open Bible on the grass before them, they are striving hard 
to read fluently in their own language the wonderful works of 
God. 

"If this old man had presented himself for baptism a little better 
clothed, we should have been pleased. All he had on was a dirty 
cotton shirt and a pair of deer-skin leggings. However, as such 
fashions occur here, his appearance created no remark, but all 
were deeply moved at his coming forward and so emphatically 
renouncing his old paganism. 

" The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the same day was 
also a service of great interest, as several new members, baptized 
a few months ago, were admitted to the Lord's Table for the first 
time. In two instances the decided stand for Christ taken by the 
women has led to the conversion of their husbands. Until 
lately they were careless, reckless men ; but they have now come 
and declared that they are convinced that the religion of their 
wives is better than the old, and they desire to have it too. Thus 
the work goes on ; but how slowly ! When shall the time arrive 
when ' nations shall be born in a day ' ? Haste, happy day ! " 

"We are toiling through the darkness, but our eyes behold the light 
That is mounting up the eastern sky and beating back the night. 
Soon with joy we'll hail the morning when our Lord will come in might, 
For Truth is marching on. 

" He will come in glorious majesty to sweep away all wrong; 
He will heal the broken-hearted and will make His people strong ; 
He will teach our souls His righteousness, our hearts a glad new song, 
For Truth is marching on. 



*' TRUTH IS MARCHING ON." 267 

" He is calling on His people to be faithful, prompt, and brave, 
To uplift again the fallen, and to help from sin to save. 
To devote themselves for others, as Himself for them He gave, 
For Truth is marching on. 

" Let us fight against the evils with our faces towards the light ; 
God is looking through the darkness, and He watches o'er the fighi 
And His joy will be our recompense, His triumph crown the right, 
For Truth is marching on." 



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